


The Legacy of a Broken Heart

by PandaGod03



Series: The Crescendo of Two Vitalities [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: (featuring other lies I tell my readers), Amnesia, BillDip, Depression & Suicide Mention, Fluff & Angst, Heavy Angst, I Promise There's Still Fluff, M/M, Mabel Cockblocking Pines, Smut, Violence in Later Chapters, mabifica mentions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-04-18
Packaged: 2018-05-21 22:39:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 35
Words: 215,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6060748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PandaGod03/pseuds/PandaGod03
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>And all my days are trances, <br/>And all my nightly dreams <br/>Are where thy grey eye glances, <br/>And where thy footstep gleams— <br/>In what ethereal dances, <br/>By what eternal streams.</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. "Don't know where, don't know when-"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo, how are you, do you want some tea? You get a pat on the back for clicking on this fic :D. This is the first fanfiction I've ever written for Gravity Falls, might as well for BillDip, so yes, hello BillDip Shippers, I am here to crash the party. Now go on, read this pile of trash, kudos and tell me whatcha think on the way (Or don't, I don't dictate your life)! Ciao!

_"I really wanna love somebody_  
_I really wanna dance the night away_  
_I know we're only half way there_  
_But you can take me all the way, you can take me all the way_  
_I really wanna touch somebody  
_ _I'll think about you every single day."_

**[Love Somebody | Maroon 5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9ymLp1o9PA) **

* * *

Bill Cipher slept underneath the Earth with a wolf's patience.

It's been exactly six years since those idiots trapped him here, and he had literally all the time in world. For years, all he ever thought of was destroying Gravity Falls once and for all as vengeance, but he came up with nothing. The little magic bubble Pine Tree and his family trapped him in was too powerful, and he hated to admit it, even to himself. So, after giving up on the 'destroy Gravity Falls and take over the world' plan, he began thinking of ways to kill Dipper Pines with as much gusto as he could muster. Yes, yes, he knew it was Stanley Pines who tricked the great and powerful Bill Cipher here, but Pine Tree...he was something interesting. Interesting enough that Bill would want to see his insides being torn out while the boy screamed and writhed in pain. So how, how should he do this?

With a knife? Nah, too cheesy. Chainsaw? Too horror film. Manipulate him into killing Mabel and force his thoughts to suicide? Not bad. But meh. 

But finding ways to kill a twelve year old -who, Bill thought with a sigh, would probably be eighteen by now- would get boring after a few years. So far, he already thought of 12, 056 ways of murdering the kid. None of those ways actually seemed fun to do. He needed something sadistic, fun, completely un-boring, and  _new._

So what? What has he not done before? What could he do to push his limits? He was Bill Cipher, an overlord in waiting, and he shall not be brought down by a measly  _mortal!_ What did that bag of flesh and bones even do that made him so motivated to overthrow a demon? Like c'mon, a human can't seriously be this in love with his own garbage planet, not even Bill's people were that dedicated. Unless... _unless..._

Bill suddenly got a brilliant idea. Well, not brilliant in Bill Cipher terms, but good enough.

What if he learned to love?

As soon as he thought about it, he began to laugh madly in the empty black space.

Bill Cipher, learning how to love? As if. How would he even get out of here and find a person to love anyway?

Bill shook those thoughts away and swam around the empty space with a lion's ease. He was bored out of mind, and he admitted to himself that the thought of loving a person was actually the most productive thought he ever had in his six years of roaming an empty bubble. Heck, he didn't know how it felt, save for lust of course. 

What would the universe do anyway, hear his thoughts and let him carry it on to teach him a lesson?

Well, ironically, yeah.

Bill's bubble started to shake, and Bill stood up (despite floating mid-air) in surprise. "Hey! Calm down out there, I'm swimming here!" Bill shouted, chuckling to himself afterwards. One of the residents of Gravity Falls was probably trying to get him out to ask for a favor, as Gideon did all those years ago. Bill mentally shook his head. Kids, thinking they can release a trillion year old demon and get their way. This is why he never gained his own human form and only possessed others. He knew that being human was the most dumbest thing a demon could ever do, and that was saying a lot.

Suddenly, the bubble rumbled, and Bill saw a blue light coming from below. Well, not exactly below, because the light was coming out of his chest. Almost like a beacon.

Little specks of what seemed like dirt rained down on him, stinging his one eye and causing him temporary blindness and a yelp to come out, despite that being completely impossible. When he opened his eye, the crack of light seemed to become bigger, slowly enlarging the more Bill stared. A buzzing noise filled his ears, like a drone humming and coming to life after five rusty years of no activation. 

"Wha-? Hey!" Bill cried, looking down in surprise. This definitely isn't a person trying to summon him.

He heard a cracking sound much like ropes coming undone by force, and Bill looked up from his chest. A crack was made split in between his dark bubble, a blue and sunny yellow glare spilling inside. Bill squinted, holding onto his top hat as a strong breeze swept past him, the scent in the air similar to a sterile hospital. 

"Seriously? Aw, I was just getting to like this place!" Bill complained. He threw his hands up in the air in curt frustration.

Then, his bubble shattered.

* * *

Bill woke up a second later. Or, two hours later. Or five. He didn't know, and he certainly didn't care. Time was just a human's way of keeping track of their tiny existences and Bill certainly didn't need that. Somehow, he felt achy all over, the middle of his forehead throbbing like a sore thumb and his body like hot lava. It was like his whole being was just shoved out- which, thinking about it now, kind of made sense.

Groaning, he turned on his back, steadily trying to force his form off the floor despite his little arms seeming to scream out in pain, the pin-prickling sensation and tension barely registering in his head. Which he found funny and quite intriguing. His body shouldn't be able to feel pain, he shouldn't even feel _tired._

Bill blinked his one eye warily, squinting into familiar territory. 

He felt two eyes blink.

Bill sighed and held onto his top hat as he stood up, trying to fly back upwards because well, who walked when they could freaking fly? He hated standing. It made him look tinier and his clients tended to laugh at him, which would result in them in being blasted to a cow dimension.

But, to his surprise, he stayed on the ground. He gritted his teeth and tried again. Again, nothing. Nada.

"Great. I'm back in Gravity Falls. If only I could float and not be a human," Bill grumbled to himself, mostly sarcastically. But really, this was wonderful for him. Now he just needed to summon his demon friends and take over again. This time, he needed to find out a much more subtle way of taking over. Perhaps he can capture the Pines and trap them, and not just little Shooting Star. Yes, he could try that.

Bill shakily stood up, and realized that he was facing a stop sign without looking up. Oh cool, he was a taller hologram form for once.

Bill snapped his fingers to summon his cane, and waited for a full ten seconds before he tried again. He snapped his fingers a third time, and nothing came.  _Is the world kidding him right now?_

"Pine Tree," he growled under his breath. There was only one person on this dimension who would spite him like this. 

Bill shakily walked to the nearest river, legs feeling like lead and his trek over making him look like a newborn deer. For some reason, his tongue was dry. Since when did intergalactic demons get thirsty? Sure, he drank water and wine before, but he was never thirsty. He was immortal for goodness sake! The feeling was uncomfortable, yeesh. 

He splashed some water onto his face, then drank some water with a resigned sigh. He was going to kill the Pines, with no magic or with it. He kept splashing his face until he felt somehow refreshed, his temperature down and his tongue not feeling like sandpaper. "Ah, that's better," he mumbled. He looked down at his hands, stout and black to fit his triangle form. 

And saw that they were tan-colored human hands.

Bill almost fell backwards on his butt, and looked at his hands again in surprise. Eyes wide, lips set in a scowl, he looked up at the sky. "PINE _TREEEEEE_!" he bellowed.

Bill crawled over to the river and saw a human's face. A twenty-year old boy's to be exact. Blond sun-kissed hair, his top hat and bow-tie, and a white shirt with khakis shorts. He scowled. Pine Tree could've at least given him an eye patch. He can't work with _two eyes!_

Almost as if the world heard him, an eye patch appeared over his right eye. "Thank you!" he said in exasperation. He pulled back his eye patch just to snap it back in place, the stinging sensation soothing him even just for a little. He did this a few times before he took a deep breath through the nose, looking around expectantly around the bare forest of Gravity Falls.

"Now I just have to find a suit and my cane," Bill mumbled to himself. He stood up, his lead-injected legs feeling much better now that he was slowly getting used to...ugh... _a human body._

"Bill Cipher," a toneless voice echoed throughout the forest.

Bill groaned. It was him who did this? Jeez, Pine Tree would have been a better bet than this guy to Bill. "What now, sweet cheeks? Can't you see I'm busy obsessed over my _own_ human body that isn't someone else's for once?" Bill said sarcastically. He didn't even turn around.

"Don't you want to know why I made you human?" the voice asked.

"To torture me?" Bill answered nonchalantly.

"No, Cipher. I made you mortal so-"

"MORTAL?!" Bill bellowed, seeing his reflection reflect his disgust in the clear river.

The voice sighed. "Yes. You wanted a second chance, and I shall give it to you. You have three years to fall in love, or else you will be put back in your prison. If you do this successfully, you can either chose to stay in your human form, or become your demon form to..." the voice trailed off.

"Tooo?" Bill asked hopefully, his reflection smirking. Oh ho, this was getting interesting. Really interesting. 

"You may take over Gravity Falls as you wish to be," the voice said in defeat.

Bill grinned.

"If you don't mind me asking, why on Earth would you make _such_ a bargain?" Bill chirped. 

"As you thought before, Bill, I want to teach you a lesson. Love may seem useless to you, demon, but it comes with a price," the voice lectured. 

"Love can hurt or motivate you, blah blah _blah_. I don't care. So, who do I have to fall in love with?" Bill asked, a little irritated. 

"You may choose whomever."

"Wow, just great. So I just fall in love with that rock over there and I get to be giddy free?"

"No. It must be a human."

"You, my friend, are no fun."

"So I've been told."

Bill stood up and made his way over to the first road he saw. He found a sign nailed to a tree, and stopped briefly to read it. _Join us at the Mystery Shack for Soos's last day today at 5 PM!_

He smirked, rubbing his chin. He had an internal clock, and knew for certain that it was currently 4:38 PM. He could make it just in time for old Soos's retirement party.

Bill made his way to the Mystery Shack, going over in his head to who he can fall in love with. Mabel Pines? No, she's too bubbly for his taste. Ford Pines? Ugh, he's like 80. Gideon? Um, no. Even demons had morals. He shivered to himself. Who, who, _who?_ Who in Gravity Falls is charming enough for him to stand, but submissive enough to control?

Bill's steps almost faltered as he thought of the perfect person. He grinned to himself, and without realizing, gripped a cane in his hand. Oh, this was absolutely marvelous. Magnificent! His excitement must have summoned the cane, but he really didn't mind. He minded, really, was the fact that he found the perfect boy, someone who he could manipulate so easily, as he has done before. His little puppet. And he shall become the puppeteer. 

Dipper Pines.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the Legacy of a Broken Heart! I hope you'll like your stay here! *shoves BillDip angst away under the rug*
> 
> The first few chapters will be very, very rushed and weird, as this story was originally going to be short and gifted to my friend for her birthday, but my other friends liked it too much and wanted me to make it longer and gave me plot suggestions, and I was like "Best idea ever oh my gosh". Buuuut, before this gets too long, lemme say one more thing;
> 
> Have fun, kiddos.


	2. A Blue Rose For A Blue Heart

_"But you didn't have to cut me off  
_ _Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing  
_ _And I don't even need your love  
_ _But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough  
_ _No you didn't have to stoop so low  
_ _Have your friends collect your records and then change your number  
_ _I guess that I don't need that though  
_ _Now you're just somebody that I used to know."_

**[Somebody That I Used To Know | Gotye](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqRC5tquyU0) **

* * *

Dipper counted the money with zero to no interest, mumbling numbers under his breath as he slid the bills across his thumb.

"Twenty five, fifty, seventy five, one hundred..." he mumbled.

"BRO-BRO, WHERE'S THE ICE CREAM AGAIN?" his twin called from downstairs.

Dipper sighed and rolled his eyes, continuing with his job. "In the freezer, Mabel," he called back.

"Freezer? Since when did we have a-? Oh yeah, pffft, I knew that," Mabel called back with a giggle. Typical, weird Mabel.

The bell rang, signalling a new customer. Dipper looked up, and opened his mouth to say hello. He clamped it shut when he realized that it was only Soos, who came in with his toolbox. Grunkle Stan must've clogged something again. Or Mabel. He didn't know for sure. 

"Sup dude," Soos greeted, raising up a hand. 

Dipper raised up a hand back, and went back to counting with his hat pulled down low. He was a freshmen in college, and he still kept the hat. After Wendy gave him her hat, he wore it for a full year before returning to his normal pine tree hat (he literally walked into the Shack and grabbed one off the shelves without asking) as soon as he came back to Gravity Falls. Sure, he still had Wendy's hat safely tucked away in his room in Piedmont, but that stupid blue hat was, well- a part of him. At least he wasn't as attached. He couldn't believe it either. He couldn't believe that he still had his Big Dipper mark on his forehead too. Sometimes puberty forgets things like that too. At least he was taller than Mabel for once. By about an inch. Hah, alpha twin power. Though Mabel still considered herself the alpha. But Dipper couldn't argue. No one could argue with Mabel Pines, really.

"Did Stan break something again?" Dipper asked in curiosity.

"Thankfully, nope. I'm just here to double check the maintenance, dude," Soos answered, holding up his toolbox.

"Whatever you say," Dipper said with a shrug, looking down at his bills. For someone who literally owns a famous business, Soos acted like he was still a janitor working for Stan. Maybe that's why Soos decided to retire. It wasn't because he hated the Mystery Shack (he loved it!) but because he had to go to another town to live with his wife and newborn kid. Soos decided to hand it over to them, and perfect timing too, because Dipper just graduated last week with his sister, and were going to college in September. Both Mabel and Dipper decided to work at the Mystery Shack over the summer and during college, as the Shack was basically a religion to the Pines. Abandoning it was like abandoning a child. Maybe even worst. 

It was a slow day, that was for sure. Almost no customers came into the shop today, leaving Dipper in a sweaty room with no things to do other than counting money twice every five minutes even though the amount never changed. The good news was that Soos was retiring tonight, and there was going to be a huge party that Mabel promised to make the "bestest best party ever!". Dipper wanted to help, but Mabel insisted he worked in the Mystery Shack while she did the "alpha twin" things. 

Dipper's phone rang in his pocket and Dipper automatically answered it without checking the caller ID. "'Ello?" he said into the phone.

"Yo, Dipper. I might be running late for work today by about, eh, two hours? Mind excusing me?" Wendy asked from the other line. Though Wendy had a successful job with her brothers and father in lumber, Wendy chose to keep working part-time to help pay off her student loans. 

"Your shift ends in two hours," Dipper said bluntly.

"Exactly! I promise this will be the last time for this week, yeah? Thomas got his head stuck in a toilet," Wendy replied with a snicker. Dipper couldn't help but smile at that. Wendy and her friends from high school never stopped hanging out, and they soon became the college clique. Dipper hung out with them sometimes whenever he came to Gravity Falls over the summer, but mostly he kept to himself. Mabel was more of the type to hang out with others than he was, anyway.

"Alright, fine. But-" Dipper began.

"Okay, thanks, say hi to Mabel for me, bye!" she shouted, and then cut off the line.

Dipper sighed and put down his phone onto the counter. This was going to be an uneventful day. Dipper could feel it. It was just like every single day. Soos's party didn't start for another twenty minutes, Mabel was out eating out of the freezer or something, Wendy was gone with her college buds, and-

The bell rang from the door.

Dipper kept his head down, but glanced up briefly to see who it was. It was a boy in a white t-shirt and khakis shorts, like what a tourist would wear. No, _exactly_ what a tourist would wear. The difference was that this boy had blond hair and an eye-patch over one eye. Not to mention the cane he was holding, which clashed with literally everything he wore. What was he, a pimp?

Dipper almost snorted at the thought, but kept it in. Either way, a customer was a customer. He couldn't lost another one or else Stan was going to kick his ass to outer space.

"Hello, welcome to the Mystery Shack, the place with-" Dipper began in a bored voice.

"I know what this place is," the boy said breezily, waving a hand as if in dismissal. Rude.

"Uh, _okay_ ," Dipper began slowly, "do you want something in particular that you need help finding?"

"Oh no, I'm just here to talk with someone," the boy drawled.

"Oh, lemme guess, Mabel?" Dipper asked. Mabel brought him guys almost every week, and it was no longer a surprise to Dipper or Stan. She didn't take them home for sex or anything, for some reason, she just took them home to hang out. Never once has Dipper seen her kiss the guy she was with, and he spied on her dates frequently to make sure she wasn't getting herself into anything bad.

"Ah, Shooting Star," the boy began with a thoughtful look, "although it would be nice to see her again, I need another Pines."

Now Dipper was really confused. Who else in his family would befriend a guy with a cane and eye-patch?

"He-yo Dipper, what color would you prefer for the tables? Pink, purple, or-?" Mabel began, coming out of the door with three separate table cloths.

She stopped in her tracks and gasped, gaping at the boy standing right in front of Dipper. _Yup, definitely an ex-boyfriend_ , Dipper thought.

Mabel's eyes turned into slits, a scowl coming to her lips. She no longer looked cute and cuddly, like normal Mabel style. She was glaring at the boy like she could burn a hole through his head. The boy, on the other hand, smirked and waved at her like she was an old friend. "Oh, Shooting Star! So nice to meet you," the boy chirped. Dipper glanced between the boy and his twin with curiosity.

"The party doesn't start until five," she said with a bitter tone. Mabel glanced at her twin briefly, and Dipper could've sworn he saw a flash of regret in her eyes. Mabel pivoted around and marched away, chin held high in dignity. 

"Well, it's better to be safe than sorry," the boy chirped.

"She's right, dude. If you're not buying anything, you should leave," Dipper said as friendly as he can. In all honestly, he just wanted the guy out the door. He was giving Dipper a bad vibe.

The boy tilted his head at Dipper. "You're awfully persistent, Pine Tree," he purred.

_You're awfully persistent, Pine Tree._

Dipper felt his right temple throb slightly, and he rubbed it to ease the pain. Why did that line sound so familiar?

"Did you just call me 'Pine Tree'?" Dipper inquired with a scowl of his own. 

The boy laughed, a sound that sounded both evil and friendly, like a sociopath in a way. He wouldn't be surprised if this guy was part of the mafia or something. Dipper felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Why did this unfamiliar boy just seem so _familiar?_

"That's your name, isn't it? Dipper Pine Tree?" the boy asked, tilting his head to the side. He swung his cane aimlessly on his left hand, and Dipper stared at his movements with a little bit of interest. Then the stranger's sentence processed in his mind, and Dipper looked at him with a weirded out look.

"How did you know my name?" Or nickname, for that matter. 

The boy put an elbow on the counter and leaned in. "I'll let you in on a secret, kid," he whispered, "I have magic."

Dipper really did snort this time. An eighteen year old-ish boy, with a fucking eye-patch and cane, with magic? As if.

Suddenly, the boy stuck out his hand. "Bill Cipher, at your service," he grinned. Dipper shook it gingerly, and was surprised to feel that the hand was delicate, but firm. As if he shook hands to make deals for a living. A car dealer, maybe. Stan always had to deal with them once in a while.

"Sorry if this sounds rude, Bill, but why exactly are you here?" Dipper questioned, opening his cash register to put the cash back in. Bill smirked at him, tilted his head, and almost seemed to lean in closer. Of course, it could have just been Dipper's tired mind playing tricks on him. Bill's one eye watched Dipper with an intense gaze. It almost seemed hungry, as if Bill was a predator and Dipper was his prey. It made Dipper shiver.

"Like I said, Pine Tree, I needed to talk to one of the Pines," Bill drawled, lifting a hand to his face to inspect it, "which, by the way, is _you_."

"What?" Dipper scoffed. "What now?"

Bill glanced back up at him. "You really don't know who I am?" Bill asked in amusement, but Dipper could've sworn he heard complete disappointment and anger in his voice. Was Dipper supposed to fangirl over him or something? 

"Sorry, but no. There has never been a Bill Cipher in my life, and I prefer to keep it that way," Dipper said indignantly, closing the cash register and closing it up for the day.

"Aw, come on. Don't pretend like our summer break didn't happen," Bill whined, setting down his cane to lean against the counter. Dipper didn't respond, but instead came around the cash register to restock on snow globes.

"I'm asking this as kindly as I can, but please leave," Dipper said in a monotone. Out of the corner of his eye, Dipper saw that Bill didn't budge, but instead stood there with a grin on his face. _Fucking maniac_ , Dipper thought. He scowled to himself. 

"Why, you became so mature, Pine Tree," Bill complimented.

 _"Leave,_ " Dipper repeated through gritted teeth.

Bill stood there for a good two minutes, watching Dipper restock, before shrugging and turning around to go out the door. _Thank God,_ Dipper thought. He felt his shoulders relax when Bill was almost out the door, and stepped back to admire his snow globe work.

He tripped on a cable and fell backwards, yelling out in surprise. His arms windmilled to keep him up, but it was no use.

Dipper's vision blacked out for a good three seconds before he opened his eyes warily, the world tilting every two seconds like a fading television. Damn, he must have hit his head on the counter.

"Fuck," he grumbled, sitting up using one arm. He rubbed the back of his head, where he felt a bump. Dipper almost fell backward again, his arm not being able to bear his weight. His legs felt like limp noodles. 

When Dipper's eyes straightened out, Dipper saw a tanned hand outstretched to him.

"You alright, Pine Tree?" Bill asked.

Dipper nodded warily, and with a moment's hesitation, grabbed Bill's hand and pulled himself up. "Thanks," he mumbled under his breath, adjusting his hat. He felt like throwing up, but he kept it in. Ugh, of all people he had to bump his head near, it was this weirdo. Dipper even preferred Robbie to be here instead of Bill. At least there wouldn't be any awkward moments, as Robbie would've just left laughing the moment Dipper fell.

"You hit your head," Bill said with a tilt of his head. A statement. 

"Thanks for reminding me," Dipper grumbled, pushing Bill away as he went back to the cash register to take some more stock. Bill chuckled, a sound that was completely different from his maniac laughter. It was more honey-coated, like a man's deep chuckle when they finish telling a joke. Dipper wouldn't admit it out loud, not to anyone, but he thought it was kinda hot. But for fuck's sake, this guy's personality was more than enough for Dipper to be turned off.

"You're bleeding," Bill stated.

"Wha-? Huh?" Dipper said, feeling the back of his head. He felt something sticky and hot, and pulled back his hand. Dark red blood coated his fingertips. _Just great,_ he groaned.

Dipper glared at his fingertips as if it would make the bleeding stop and walked to the counter. He crouched down and took out a first aid kit. "Goddamn it," Dipper hissed, the first aid kit slipping from his fingers. He was so clumsy now, and he could tell that he was fading fast. Of all the places to faint, it had to be in front of this douchebag.

"You know, all you have to do is say the magic word and I'll help," Bill said breezily.

"No," Dipper said firmly, standing up and putting the kit onto the counter. He opened it and looked for the right tools. He felt a presence beside him, and huffed out a breath. Bill looked into the kit right over Dipper's shoulder, looking amused at his situation. 

"The blood stained your shirt, by the way," he chirped out. Dipper gritted his teeth and took out some bandages.

"Bill, can you just go away for once?" Dipper hissed.

Bill shrugged and whistled, spinning his cane around one hand. Dipper shook his head at him and touched the back of his head to see where the cut was.

But it wasn't there.

Dipper felt around again, feeling for blood, a cut, a bump, _anything_. But there just wasn't any.

Behind him, Bill breathed softly, his breath tickling Dipper's ear. "Aren't you going to say thanks?" he asked innocently. Dipper shivered inwardly.

Then he scowled, pretending as if the sensation never happened. "What for? Lying to me that there was blood on the back of my head?" he snapped.

"Hey, you saw the blood. You know I wasn't lying," Bill defended, raising up his hands to his chest.

"So? you could've put fake blood on my fingers or something," Dipper said with a shake of his head, "can you just stop pretending you're an important guy and _go away_?"

Dipper could've sworn he saw Bill's eyes turn red. He didn't have to time to know for sure before Bill grabbed his wrists and pulled him closer to himself, using one hand to tilt Dipper's head up. Bill gazed at him with an intense glare, and Dipper shrank back from it. How did this guy go from being happy-go-lucky to a mad threatening boy? God, Gravity Falls seemed more and more weirder the more he stayed here.

"First of all, _Pine Tree,_ " Bill began, his nickname harsh and venomous, "I _am_ important. I have no idea what you did to yourself to forget that, but I am. Don't you dare forget that."

Dipper wrenched his arm away from Bill's grip, glaring back at him. Bill was almost a head taller than him, but Dipper didn't let that intimidate him. They were almost nose to nose, as Bill was looking down at him with a single, red-pupiled eye. Or, at least Dipper thought it was red. It was hard to tell when his head felt foggy. 

"Good day, Mr. Cipher," Dipper said stiffly.

Bill gave him one last glare before shaking his head and turning around. "I'll be back soon. Don't forget that either," Bill said, looking over his shoulder to give Dipper a psychopathic smile, one that stretched beyond his lips. Dipper crossed his arms and motioned for Bill to go, ignoring the feeling of the creeps crawling down his spine.

Bill left, leaving Dipper in an empty room.

Dipper sighed and ran a hand through the back of his head, just to make sure it really wasn't bleeding. When he saw it wasn't, Dipper tossed the first aid kid back under the counter and sat on the stool. Seeing that he had nothing else to do, Dipper played with the cash register.

He opened it by accident, and was surprised to find a single blue rose blossoming out from it. Blue, like the color of his pine tree hat.


	3. Never Tango with a Trickster

  _"I try to see the good in life,_  
_But good things in life are hard to find._  
_We'll blow it away, blow it away._  
_Can we make this something good?_  
_Well, I'll try to do it right this time around._  
_Let's start over._  
_I'll try to do it right this time around._  
_It's not over._  
_'Cause a part of me is dead and in the ground._  
_This love is killing me,_  
_But you're the only one."_

**[It's Not Over | Daughtry ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgqrqY3LUcQ) **

* * *

"Bill fucking Cipher," Mabel said under her breath as she took another sip of her wine. Or at least Dipper thought it was wine. It was hard to tell with her. One moment, she could be drinking apple juice with Pacifica, or then she would be drinking Moon Shine with their Grunkle Stan.

"Did you really have to add the 'fucking' part?" Dipper asked, putting down his cup next to him. He watched over the crowd with little to no interest.

"Well of course. It isn't everyday my little brother-" Mabel began.

"I am literally five minutes younger than you," Dipper interrupted. Mabel waved a hand in dismissal, taking another sip.

"Exactly. As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted by my younger brother, it isn't everyday that you get hit on by a damn de- guy," Mabel finished bluntly.

Dipper gave her a sideways glare. "Well, it's a fucking miracle at least," Mabel said under her breath, "at least you weren't hit on by some old sugar daddy with gold chains and teeth who wants to pay you ten thousand. Like man, make it twenty at least!" She stomped her foot for effect, huffing.

Dipper laughed despite himself, punching Mabel on the shoulder. "Look, you shouldn't worry about that Bill guy. He was just some lost cause probably, and-" Dipper began. Mabel cut him off with a snort. She got that look in her eye that made Dipper think she was going to spill wine all over his pants again. It just wasn't Mabel.

"Oh, you don't know Billy Boy like I do," Mabel said, crossing her arms over her chest. To Soos's party, Mabel completely ditched her sweaters and replaced it with a t-shirt and skirt. Mostly, it was because of Dipper that she changed out. Or maybe it was because of her girlfriend, who insisted they go in matching tops that she bought for the both of them last week.

"Billy Boy?" Dipper questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Mabel rolled her eyes at him. "Oh come on Bro Bro, you've heard weirder nicknames than _that_ ," she emphasized. Dipper's eyebrow still stayed up, and Mabel's eyebrow rose up with his in question. "What?" Mabel asked.

"I don't know," Dipper began, "I kind of just think you're overreacting with this whole Bill thing. I mean, he was weird, I know, but we see weirder things here in Gravity Falls." For example, pink werewolves and midget vampires. Bill was nothing compared to that. 

Mabel scrunched up her nose at him, opening her mouth to reply. But then she must have seen something out of the corner of her eye because she let out a squeal of delight and darted away from the punch bowl area. One blink of an eye and bam, she was gone. 

Great, now Dipper was alone again.

Dipper crossed his arms over his chest and put his hat lower. It was a habit of his, a habit he never grew out of. He watched the crowd with a hawk's eye, but mostly watched out for his twin. Even now, he felt overly protective of his own twin. For some reason, he just had an attachment to her. And a very unhealthy protectiveness.

Mabel danced with her girlfriend on the dance floor, and he saw that they were literally fifteen feet away from any other person. And near a door. Bedroom door. Huh.

Stan was right across the room, talking to some girl he looked interested in. Ford was writing down on a separate journal, not even bothering to look up. Dipper had no idea why he even came here in the first place. What, was he trying to see how women worked? To his surprise, Wendy and her buddies were the life of the party here. They danced and sang loudly to the song, which made Dipper's ears bleed, but he smiled at them when they turned to wave. Soos, the man of the party, was nowhere to be seen.

Dipper took a deep breath and exhaled, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts. He wasn't needed here. Mabel could take care of herself, Stan was enjoying himself, and Ford clearly didn't want to bothered. He pivoted on one heel and turned towards the exit of the Mystery Shack.

Well, that was until he felt a light tingle on the back of his neck.

He squeezed his shoulders up and shivered, looking behind him to see if someone was watching. But, of course, no one was.

He mentally shrugged and turned back around, until a cold hand gripped the back of his neck collar and pulled him to the dance floor. "Hey! What the fu-?"

Bill grabbed hold of his wrists tightly, making Dipper squirm. "You again?!" Dipper hissed.

Bill smirked innocently at him (was that even possible, to smirk innocently?) and tangoed to the central of the dance floor. Dipper couldn't feel his wrists, might as well his legs as Bill swung him around like a rag doll. "Dude! What the hell is wrong with you?" Dipper yelled over the music.

Bill chuckled, his one eye looking at him in amusement. He was no longer wearing a white shirt and khakis shorts, but was wearing a yellow and black vest suit with the sleeves pulled up to his elbows. Dipper had to admit that it looked good on him, and knew for certain that if anyone tried wearing that, they'd turn out looking like a drug lord of some sort. 

"Got two left feet, Pine Tree?" he drawled.

"I'd rather have two left feet that be anywhere near you," Dipper spat. Then he really did spit on Bill's face.

But, to his surprise, Bill just wiped it off like nothing happened. 

"What do you want?" Dipper growled. 

"Oh, you know, I just wanted to enjoy myself. And, it seems that you're trying your hardest not to enjoy. So, I thought, 'hey, why not teach the Pine Tree to dance?'," Bill said with a maniac laugh. His shoulders shook in his own laughter, his eyes lit with the kind of happiness only a psychopath could achieve. 

"I'm fine," Dipper snapped. He tried to wrench himself away from the stupid idiot, but Bill was too strong. He may seemed thin, but pushing Bill away felt like pushing a boulder.

"Oh come on, Pine Tree," Bill whined, "have some fun! Your sister is!"

As if it was a magic word, Dipper glanced sideways to look for his sister. He saw her sitting down on one of the benches, sipping a glass of wine with her girlfriend nowhere to be found. And she was looking straight at them with a predator's gaze. Thin lips, narrowed eyes, the promise of murder in her eyes- the works.

She made a gesture, but Dipper didn't know if it was for him, or for the guy he was dancing with.

"My sister," Dipper began, "is currently looking at you like she wants to make Waddles eat you. Just let me go, man."

Bill laughed, and dipped him low. Dipper gritted his teeth, and an idea formed in his head. "Oh, you want to play _that_ game, huh?" he grumbled under his breath. Dipper got up from the dip with ease, glaring at Bill. He wrenched his hands away from Bill, but instead of walking away like he intended, Dipper grabbed onto Bill's shoulder and waist tightly.

Bill tilted his head at him, raising one single eyebrow in question, or perhaps, in challenge. "You've grown some spunk in you, Pine Tree," Bill complimented quietly. Dipper didn't respond, and moved Bill away from Mabel's line of sight.

He could hear her cry of anguish when he disappeared behind a wall of waltzing teenagers. Dipper grimaced. He really didn't want to do this, but he had to prove to Bill he was something much more than a kid who bumped his head on the counter.

"Your move, Cipher," Dipper snarled.

Bill's lips curled into a small smile. "Gladly," he said back, a lilt to his tone. 

And then Dipper was turned upside down.

"Wha- _hey_!" Dipper yelped, feeling his head spin as Bill brought him back up.

"Oh, don't be such a pine tree, Pine Tree. You're stiff as a board," Bill drawled, observing his movements with a watchful eye. 

"What the hell am I supposed to do when a fucking guy comes up to me and turns me _upside down?_ " Dipper inquired.

"Oh, I don't know, roll with it? Ha ha, at least that's what I do," Bill laughed. Dipper clamped his mouth shut to keep from biting his tongue when Bill dipped him again, but this time much more faster and agitated, like he couldn't wait to drop him to the floor. Considering how Bill acted around him, that was possibly the case. 

Dipper's head swam, and Dipper felt the familiar sensation of bile rising up in his throat. He kept it in, thankfully, but Dipper knew he had enough of this.

"Bill, that is _enough_ ," he hissed under his breath, grabbing hold onto Bill's hips for a last attempt at support. Bill smiled ruefully at him.

"Hmm, if you wanted that, Pine Tree, I could've given it to you a life time ago," he drawled.

Dipper felt his cheeks heat up. "I met you two hours ago, man," Dipper said in attempt to recover from this sexual tension.

"Ah, but _I_ met you six years ago," Bill answered with a tilt of his head.

"Six years ago? Bill, I was twelve. Hell, I barely made any friends when I was twelve," Dipper said with a shake of his head. His only friends when he was twelve was Mabel and his family, possibly Wendy and Soos included. Sure he spoke with people around Gravity Falls, but he just didn't considered them- well- _friends._ He was that type of guy to hang out in the corner of a room with a book while people danced and grinded on the dance floor. He would have been doing exactly that right now, if it wasn't for the stupid idiotic boy who pulled him here.

 Bill frowned at his statement. "Honestly, Pine Tree, do you really believe that-?" he began.

"HEYO DIP-DIP!"

Dipper almost sighed in relief in his head, but also groaned. He was finally going to be saved from this hell from his sister, but at the same time, she was going to do something totally weird in front of everyone. He could just feel it. 

"Yeah?" Dipper called out with a strained voice.

Mabel came marching in towards him with a smile, but Dipper shrank back. That was her _I swear to God, Dipper, whatever you did, I'm going to make you wash Waddles and eat Stan's socks for breakfast as punishment_ smile.

Mabel turned to smile at Bill, and Bill smiled back. "Very charming to see you again, Shooting Star," Bill greeted, tipping his hat at her. Mabel didn't respond, but whipped her head around to look at Dipper.

"Aw, Bro-Bro, you didn't tell me you had a fuck buddy," Mabel began with a pout.

_Um, what?_

Dipper coughed into his fist and shook his head vigorously. "Ah, w- well-" Dipper started. Bill watched the twins with amused looks, his eyebrows raised high in question. But Dipper could've sworn he saw Bill clench his fists and grit his teeth before changing his expression to a very amused and relaxed grin.

"Oh, does Pine Tree have a grown-up partner?" Bill mused.

Grown up partner? What is this guy, twelve?

Mabel glanced at Bill with a grin, and then gave Dipper a _just play along if you want to live, dumbass_ look.

What did he just get himself into?

"I was just talking to B- B- Bryan! Your uh, friend with benefits! He told me he wanted you down by room four in five minutes," Mabel said, jabbing a thumb behind her.

Dipper gave her a _seriously, that's all you got?_ look. He opened his mouth to reply, but Bill beat him to it.

"Hope this Bryan guy likes threesomes. I'm joining."

Dipper chocked on his own spit, and Mabel pursed her lips in a horrible way to keep from laughing. "Ex- excuse me?" Dipper stuttered.

"Threesomes. Do you know what that is, Pine Tree?" Bill asked slowly, as if talking to a child.

Dipper's face became a flaming hot cheeto. "W- well yeah, but I don't think Bryan would uh," Dipper stammered, stepping backwards.

"Aw, seriously? Ah come on! How about you, Shooting Star?" Bill asked, turning his head to look at his sister.

Mable's eyes widened. "What? Pffft, what?" she said, her eyes still wide and darting around like a deer caught in the headlights. Bill leaned on his cane, and Dipper's eyebrows rose up in surprise. Where the hell did that cane come from?

"Well, aren't you and Pacifica going to room two for-?" Bill drawled.

"HEY BRO-BRO, WANNA BUY ICE CREAM? OF COURSE YOU DO, LET'S GO!" Mabel announced loudly, grabbing hold of Dipper's wrist and pulling him away.

"Oh, just wait a second, Shooting Star!" Bill said, grabbing hold onto Dipper's other wrist. If Dipper could face-palm, he would. But, an idiot and an idiot related to him was preventing him from doing so. "Dipper promised me a dance, and a dance I'll get," Bill chirped.

"What? I didn't promise you a dance! If anything, you pulled me into the dance floor like a pervert!" Dipper cried out, looking at his twin for support.

Unfortunately, his twin was busy glaring at Bill to see catch his eye. "Like a pervert, eh? Aren't you the one trying to give me a- what's the term? Ah, yes, a booty call," Bill said, glancing down at Dipper with a smile. Dipper scowled, then tried looking at his twin one last time. _Come on, Mabel, just look at me!_ he thought desperately.

It felt like a lifetime before Mabel finally glanced at him. She scowled.

"Uh, Bill, do you mind if I talk to my dear brother for a moment?" Mabel asked innocently, batting her eyelashes innocently at Bill. Bill tipped his hat at her, spinning his cane around before resting an elbow on it. Dipper almost snorted. Show off. 

"Go right ahead, Shooting Star. As long as you return him to me in, oh-" he began. He pulled out a pocket watch from his pants and peered at it, "-thirty seconds."

"Thirty sec-?" Dipper squeaked. 

Mabel pulled him away from Bill and huddled next to him. "Doesn't matter," she hissed, "what the heck were you _thinking,_ dude?"

Dipper grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I kind of just wanted to show him that I wasn't a wimp, I guess..." he mumbled under his breath. Mabel's eyebrows rose up.

"Is that so? Then, why the hell would you pull him out of my _sight?_ " Mabel asked with a snap. Scary Mabel was definitely a scary Mabel. 

Dipper laughed nervously. "Well I-"

"Fifteen seconds!" Bill called out happily over the loud music.

Mabel glared at him. "Tell me the truth, Dip," Mabel whispered.

"Truth? What do you-?" he started in confused.

"I meant; do you like him?" she asked, cutting him off entirely.

Dipper felt his face flare with embarrassment. "What? No! For God's sake, Mabel, _he forced me to dance with him_ ," he hissed, proud of himself that he hasn't stuttered. His twin rolled her eyes. He stared at her in challenge, his twin staring back with the same challenge in her eyes. He was begging her to see that he wasn't trying anything, that it was all a misunderstanding that Mabel misinterpreted as always. It felt like forever before Mabel's eyes softened, her hand coming up so she could massage the bridge of her nose as she sighed. Right now, she seemed like an exhausted mother dealing with a child going out at night than a person looking out for their twin.

"Look, I can see chemistry when I see it. But, Dipper, I'm begging you, please please _please_ don't fall in love with-" Mabel began with a desperate tone.

"Times up!" Bill chirped, latching Dipper's elbow to his.

The music changed into something more appropriate for a waltz (probably at the request of his Grunkle Stan so he can dance with a lady friend), and the loud but slow music just amplified Dipper's anxiety.

"Wait-!" Dipper cried, looking back to his twin. Mabel stood there with crossed arms, not budging to go to him and help. She shook her head, turning her slightly dampened gaze to glare at Bill, as if looking at him would turn the guy into stone. 

Bill held him in a waltzing position, holding him close to his body. Dipper's breath hitched, but he really didn't know why. "Why are you doing this?" Dipper whispered harshly. Out of anyone Bill could harass, it was him. He just had the best luck ever, huh?

"Would you believe me if I said I have to fall in love with someone in order to take over the world?" Bill asked happily. Happily, with a hint of seriousness. For satire effect, Dipper figured. 

Dipper snorted. "Yeah, okay. But I will believe it if you say you're a fucking sociopath," Dipper answered sarcastically. Bill chuckled, and since Bill's chest was literally less than three inches from his face, Dipper could almost _feel_ the laugh vibrate through Bill.

Bill suddenly stepped forward, forcing Dipper to step back with one foot. "Other foot," Bill whispered.

Dipper's eyebrows knitted together. "What?" he questioned.

"Other foot," Bill repeated. "Jeez Pine Tree, have you _never_ danced a waltz before?" he asked in disbelief. 

He smiled awkwardly in an attempt to look sorry. "I did. Once. It was a middle school dance and I don't really like talking about it," Dipper said with a shiver. Bill laughed, but Dipper was surprised to see that it wasn't his maniac laughter for once. It sounded chocolaty and sweet, like honey. Dipper almost shivered, but stopped himself right on time. He shook his head. He wasn't a damn cat, he can't just _purr_ when he hears something hot like that!

"I assume you stepped on the poor girl's feet around seven times?" Bill asked in curiosity. No sneer, no hint of disgust- just pure curiosity.

"Close," Dipper answered, thinking for a while. "Around sixty-two times, I think."

Bill grinned, stepping to the side then forward. Dipper was caught off guard, and Bill almost stepped on his foot. "You're very rusty on your dances, Pine Tree," he commented.

"Shut up," Dipper sighed. He was done trying to prove he was good otherwise.

Dipper took a deep breath and tried to follow Bill's advice, but failed miserably any time he tried to move. He stepped on Bill's feet once, twice, five times, ten times, until he couldn't keep count anymore. Every single time, he apologized, but he secretly loved it when he sees Bill grit his teeth and smile ruefully before saying it was okay. And in truth, he stepped on Bill's feet on purpose more than half the time. Ah, vengeance was so underrated.

Though the waltz only lasted for four minutes, it felt like a lifetime to him. He didn't know it was a good thing or a bad thing.

"I have a very curious question for you, Pine Tree," Bill said, continuing the waltz for them. 

"Shoot," Dipper answered, disinterested. It was probably a question to where he got his nickname from, or why Soos was retiring, or where Wendy's hat went because jeez so many people always ask the same damn question.

Bill didn't reply right away, but when he did, Dipper's hair stood up on end. "What do you remember about the first time you came to Gravity Falls?"

It was such an easy question. Dipper would probably have responded right away, if it wasn't for the blank space drawing nothing in his mind. He started to sweat. He was confused, a little angry at himself, but mostly confused. He never really thought about the first time he went to Gravity Falls because he went back every summer anyway. Dipper thought hard, harder, until his mind began to pound.

He couldn't remember a single thing.

"You know, just- Gravity Falls things. Mabel and I were curious about this town, we explored, blah blah blah," Dipper stalled.

Bill gave him a look that Dipper couldn't decipher. "Anything in particular?" he pushed.

"Uh...I think that was the year Mabel got Waddles," Dipper said quickly. Now that he thought about it, he didn't know how Mabel got her pig. He just assumed that she bought it or something, and the subject of first getting the pig was never brought up. In fact, Mabel never talked about the past. In particular, she didn't talk about the first summer they went to Gravity Falls. She avoided it like hot lava.

Bill clicked his tongue, spinning Dipper once. "Come on, Pine Tree, you have to remember _something_ ," he pushed once more. Dipper blinked, trying to get a hold of himself. Mabel wasn't keeping secrets from him, he was sure. She _couldn't._

"Pine Tree? Pine Tree to the soil? Hellooooo?" Bill called, waving a hand in front of Dipper.

"Sorry. I was just..." Dipper trailed off, blinking once, twice. "Bill, when did you say you met me?"

Bill's lips curled into a smile.

"Met you? Don't you remember? I met you just two hours ago!"


	4. A German Boy and an Arcade

_"Baby we built this house_  
_On memories_  
_Take my picture now_  
_Shake it til you see it_  
_And when your fantasies_  
_Become your legacy_  
_Promise me a place_  
_In your house of memories."_

**[House of Memories | Panic! at the Disco](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuliCkN2oic) **

* * *

"And then Bill _fucking_ Cipher comes in and takes me by the fucking collar to dance while I-" Dipper growled under his breath, stirring his smoothie around the cup.

"Jeebus, Dip. Do you _ever_ stop talking about that eye-patch guy?" Mabel asked, rolling her eyes.

"Well, you were the one who asked what happened!" he argued.

Mabel snorted and said, "I asked what happened _three and a half hours_ ago. Now every single time I bring up a new subject, you find a new way to bring up eye-patch guy."

Dipper scowled. "I do _not_!" he protested, "just look, say something to talk about!"

Mabel sighed in exasperation, her lips twitching as she took a sip of her smoothie. "So Dipper, how's poindexter camp?"

He shrugged and kept stirring his drink. "It's a little boring, as usual, but our last meeting is tomorrow. We're going against a small college, but I heard that their average grade there is-" he began.

Mabel held up five fingers. "Five," she mumbled tiredly.

"-anyway, the school there has literally all the requirements to get a degree for my dream job. It may be a small school but I heard their tests were the hardest in the-" Dipper started, pretending he didn't hear Mabel.

"Four," Mabel said again.

"-like damn, I even heard they turned down _Ford_ when he tried to get in-"

"Three-"

"-but I'm not worried, I can take 'em-"

" _Two-_ "

"-like fuck, Mabel, my coach is making me do extra the closer we get to the finals, it's-"

" _One._ "

"- _ugh,_ if only Bill stopped doing that though. I didn't have time to study right after he fucking broke my back doing the tango with me when I _specifically_ said to leave me alone! He's such a jerk!" He threw his arms up in frustration. 

Mabel tilted her head at her brother and took a sip silently. "What?" Dipper asked. He realized why she was looking at him like that and swore under his breath. "Okay, fine, I talk about him a lot. He just- annoys me so much, ya know?" he tried explaining.

"You literally just met him yesterday," Mabel pointed out.

"So? Pacifica annoyed you from day one!" Dipper groaned.

Mabel's eyebrows rose up. "And I started dating her," she said with a tone that made Dipper give her a confused look.

When he realized what she meant, he scrunched up his nose. "Okay, first of all, I _do not like Bill_. Like you said, I just met the guy yesterday! Maybe he just wants me to do his dirty work in the future or something," Dipper said, grumbling the last part.

"You can say that," she whispered harshly. Her smoothie cup got crushed underneath her grip. 

Dipper didn't question her, but instead took a sip of his drink. "Bill fucking Cipher," he snarled, "when he shows up, I'm going to say I hate him."

The corners of Mabel's lips twitched. "Soon you'll be saying 'fucking Bill Cipher'," she mused.

Dipper glared at her. "For the last time-" he began.

"You know, I should make a sweater that says that for you next Christmas," Mabel interrupted, tapping her chin with a finger and looking up in thought.

"Mabel!" he yelled, his voice cracking slightly. Ah yes, puberty.

Mabel laughed out loud, leaning against her chair with a hand on her stomach. "I'm just kidding, Dip-Dip. Besides, you and Bill? As if," Mabel said with a bark of laughter. Dipper almost chocked on his smoothie.

"Yeah..." he said, trailing off and forbidding himself to look at his sister in the eyes. The thing about insomnia is that finally going to bed meant weird dreams. And those weird dreams included Bill. He almost shivered from the memories of last night. 

"So, what's the plan for today?" Mabel asked, tilting her head to the side. Dipper pursed his lips, thinking for a while. Every week, they always got together for a whole day for 'twin bonding'. No girlfriend, no boyfriend, no Grunkle Stan, no nothing. Just them and their constant shouting at each other during video games. 

"We can go to your clothing shop again," Dipper suggested. While he didn't like shopping in general, Mabel was an avid shopper. He didn't mind shopping with her though, as she usually found ways to keep him busy while she looked for new knitting tools and skirts. One time, they got suspended from a small DIY shop because they were laughing so hard from rearranging the letter blocks to say uh...something weird the twins thought of.

"Nah, I'm bored of those sweaters. Like pink unicorn sweaters? That was _so_ last season," Mabel said, waving a hand in boredom.

"Okay fine, uh," Dipper said, thinking hard, "well, how about the arcade?"

Mabel stayed quiet, looking over his shoulder and frowning. "Yo, Mabel? Yo? Helloooo?" Dipper called, waving a hand in front of his sister. Mabel snapped out of her trance and gave Dipper an apologetic smile.

"Sorry," she apologized. Dipper looked behind him.

"What were you looking at, anyway?" Dipper asked in confusion.

Mabel's eyes widened. "Uh, n- nothing! So, about that arcade. Do you mind if we go now?" Mabel asked with a pout.

"Now? But you're barely done with your-" Dipper began with a frown. 

"C'mon, Bro-Bro!" she shouted, getting out of her seat and pulling Dipper away.

"Mabel, what the fuck? Where are you-?" Dipper said.

Dipper crashed right into a chest, and he fell backwards on his butt.

"Hey!" Dipper groaned, rubbing the back of his head. He looked up and out of the corner of his eye, saw Mabel look at him with horrified look.

Bill smiled down at him, holding out a hand.

"I hate you," Dipper scowled.

"Now this seems familiar," Bill mused. Dipper scowled at him, batting his hand away. Why him, of all people? He was going to slap this guy across the face if he didn't leave him the hell alone. Bill gave off a vibe that Dipper definitely didn't like. It was like that stalker incident in fifth grade all over again. 

"I can take care of myself," Dipper said indignantly. Bill stepped back and leaned on his cane, watching Dipper with one, watchful eye. He got up with as much grace as he could muster (which probably wasn't a lot), and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What on Earth are you doing here, Pine Tree?" Bill asked innocently.

"Me? I'm here with my sister! What the hell are _you_ doing here?" Dipper said through gritted teeth. Bill pointed a finger at himself as if he couldn't believe what Dipper said.

"Me? Oh, you know, just doing normal human stuff-" he started. Mabel snorted behind him.

Bill gave her a sideways glance, and frowned just a little. "I didn't know you guys sold replicas of the male genitals anyway," he continued, his tone both confused and fascinated. 

Mabel put a hand to her mouth, her shoulders shaking her laughter. Dipper's face turned red. "W- well haven't you been here before?" Dipper asked incredulously. "Wait, are even _from_ Gravity Falls?"

Bill grinned at him. "I've been here longer than you ever had, Pine Tree. Shooting Star can tell ya," he chirped, turning his head to look at the brunette. Dipper looked at her sister in a, _well?_ look. Mabel stopped laughing, and shrugged her shoulders. But you really couldn't tell with how thick her sweater was.

"I've never really seen eye-patch guy around until yesterday," she admitted. 

Bill gave her a surprised look. "Out of all the people I know, Shooting Star, I didn't think _you_ would lie," he fake-gasped.

"Lie about what?" Mabel snorted. Then she thought for a while and her face fell into a guilty look. "Okay, you got me," she said with sigh, putting her hands up to her chest in surrender, "I drank the last of the orange juice and didn't tell Stan."

Bill laughed out loud, hitting Mabel lightly on the back of the knee in a friendly way. Mabel, on instinct, stepped away from him. Dipper stepped forward on _his_ instinct, but Mabel shook her head. "What do you want now, Bill?" Dipper asked tiredly.

The eye-patch guy, as Mabel put it, just casually swung his cane on one hand. People gave them weird looks, but they just shrugged it off like it was nothing. After all, weirder things happen here in Gravity Falls. And thankfully, Bill wasn't wearing anything...exotic. He wasn't even wearing his top hat. Just a sweatshirt and some leggings. Which, by the way, made Dipper realize that Bill had muscles. He looked away in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. 

"I heard you guys were going to the arcade, so I thought, 'hey, why not join in with the tree family?' Ha ha!" Bill said with a laugh. Dipper and Mabel gave each other a look. It was clear without even looking at each other that they really didn't want Bill tagging along.

"Uh, sorry man, but you see, me and Dip-Dip here kind of have a twin bonding day, which strictly means that _no one_ can join in at anything we do," Mabel explained, slowly backing away. Dipper nodded his head to Mabel's explanation.

"Aw, you guys are no fun!" Bill complained.

"So we've been told," Dipper and Mabel said at the same time.

Bill looked at the two of them with glancing sly looks. "Alright, fine. I'll make you a deal," Bill said, looking at one hand and inspecting it. Mabel's shoulders tensed, and she clearly wanted out of there as fast as she can.

"What deal?" Dipper asked, mostly out of curiosity.

"Well, you see," Bill said, "I kind of have too much cash on me right now-"

"Seriously? You're going to bribe us with _money_? You do realize that we both run a freaking shack that can buy off our college debts for the next thirty years?" Mabel groaned. "And thankfully too! College is hard," she added with a thoughtful look. Dipper shot her a look.

"Calm down," Bill chuckled, "I wasn't finished." He stalled for a bit, shifting his weight from foot to foot while the twins watched him with intense gazes, both people wanting to run out of there as fast as possible so they couldn't deal with this guy anymore. It seemed like Bill was stalling for effect. And, sadly, it worked. 

"You let me hang out with you guys today, and I give you five bars of gold," Bill bargained.

Mabel's eyes widened, and Dipper almost tripped on his own two feet. The maniac smiled at their reactions, resting an elbow on his cane casually. "Well?" Bill inquired.

"You _do not_ have bars of gold. You don't dress like a rich man, act like one, or hell, even _look_ like one. So, thanks, but no thanks," Dipper said passive-aggressively. If Bill Cipher really was this rich, he would've been all over the news like dear old Pacifica.

"Don't believe me, Pine Tree?" Bill said, giving him an amused lopsided grin. He turned to look at his sister, who was currently looking at Bill with a scowl. "So, Shooting Star, perhaps _you_ believe me?" he said again. Dipper looked at his sister, waiting for her answer. She stayed quiet for a long while before quietly answering, "He's right, Dipper."

"What?! How can you believe that this guy-?!" he began incredulously. Mabel narrowed her eyes at him, and he shut up immediately. She gave him a pointed look, which meant, _five bars of gold? Dipper, this can help us like crazy!_

Dipper scowled at the ground. "He's lying," he hissed. Bill looked around the mall curiously. Then, he stepped forward, and brought out a small bar of gold the size of his palm.

His eyes widened. _No way,_ he thought. Dipper inspected the bar of gold, watching for any signs of fool's gold on it. With a nod, Bill let him hold it. He weighed it on his palm, turning it over in his hands. It was heavy, and definitely was gold. 

"How?" Dipper demanded.

Bill smiled, glancing at Mabel for a second. "I can't really say I'm rich, but eh-" he answered with a shrug, "-you need to make a living _somehow_."

Dipper glared at the bar of gold and shoved it back to Bill. "We don't need your gold," he snapped. Stan would die of a heart attack if he heard those words. 

"Are you sure?" Bill hummed, looking up at the sky. "If I remember, your electric bill was going off the charts recently, and by next year, you'd barely have the money to have electricity and water running at the same time," he mused, looking up at the sky as he tapped his chin in thought. Dipper and Mabel shared a knowing look. Soos. Definitely Soos.

"Fine," Dipper finally gave in, almost snarling the word.

"Shake on it," Bill said, holding out his hand. It almost sounded like a demand. 

Mabel squeaked, looking at Bill's hand outstretched to Dipper like it was going to burst into flames.

With a sigh, he shook on it.

Bill grinned and pulled back his hand. "Nice dealing with you, Pine Tree," he beamed, "now, where is this 'arcade'?"

With the way he said it, Dipper would've thought he had no idea what an arcade was. But he shrugged the thought off, and mumbling curse words under his breath, led his sister and Bill to the arcade.

**************

"No, wait! Bill, don't-!"

Too late, as the idiot stuck his finger in the coin slot. He tried pulling back, but it wouldn't budge. "Jeez Pine Tree, what is with these thin metal holes in these machines? It can't even fit my finger!" Bill said incredulously.

Dipper face-palmed, pulling Bill out of there before he got too many weird looks. They were only there for fifteen minutes and Bill had already embarrassed himself way too many times to count.  
  
Not only that, but Dipper quickly found out that Bill clearly had no idea how an arcade worked. Hell, he thought skee ball was a disease when Mabel asked if he wanted to _play!_

"Dude, what is _wrong_ with you?" Dipper scowled. Bill put a hand over his heart.

"What is wrong with _me?_ Whatever are you talking about, Pine Tree?" he asked innocently.

"You act like you never even heard of an arcade! Or heard about video-games for that matter!" Dipper hissed. The idiot shrugged his shoulders.

"Maybe I haven't, Pine Tree. Not everyone knows what a 'laptop' is," he defended himself.

If Dipper had the choice to die, he would've chosen to make it happen now. "Dude, where are you even from? Literally every person I know has heard of a fucking laptop," Dipper asked with distaste.

"Oh...uh, I'm from Germany!" Bill said happily.

Dipper's eyebrow rose in question as he kept walking. He was looking for his sister, who ran off to get more tokens. "Germany? Don't you guys have technology there too?" Dipper asked, unconvinced.

 _"Nein?"_ Bill replied, his answer coming out more like a question.

He shook his head and kept walking, trying his best to walk faster to get away from a crazy guy who had no idea of how this century worked. Rounding the corner of the arcade, Dipper saw his sister playing on an arcade machine with her tongue stuck out to the side of her mouth in concentration. When she saw them out of the corner of her eye, she waved with one hand, but her eyes stayed on the screen.

"What is it with you humans and screens with moving pictures that you can control?" Bill mumbled under his breath. _I don't know either, man,_ Dipper thought.

"Hey guys! I bought you two some more tokens! Just take 'em and go," Mabel said happily. Dipper saw the pile of tokens neatly arranged into three columns, with one of the columns short of one token. That must be Mabel's.

With a mumble of thanks, Dipper took one pile and stuffed it into his pockets, motioning for Bill to do the same. He took it happily, looking at one coin like it was the most interesting thing in the world. "Put one in the little metal slots and you can play one of the games," Dipper explained vaguely. Bill looked like he was shot through the heart.

"And lose one? No way, Pine Tree!" he refused. Dipper breathed in deep.

"You don't mind losing five bars of gold -which, by the way, I still think is a scam- but don't like it when you lose a _coin_?" he asked in disbelief.

Bill smiled innocently. "Gold is nothing. This coin...it has symbols on it," he said, his eyebrows knitted together as he looked at another identical coin.

"Yes, and those symbols just represent the damn arcade," Dipper snapped. "Look, just go and play a game that catches your eye, okay? I need to talk to my sister," he said again with a hint of tiredness in his voice. Bill shrugged, turning around and looking at every machine he passed.

When Bill disappeared behind a corner, Dipper sat down in one of the arcade stools beside his sister. Mabel didn't pay him attention, still playing Mortal Kombat like her life depended on it. He waited for a while, patiently waiting for her to be done.

When she finished two minutes later, she turned around to face her brother. "What's up, Bro-Bro?" she asked, putting her hands on her lap.

Dipper crossed his arms over his chest. "How are you putting up with that guy?" he asked in disbelief.

She gave him a knowing smirk. "You keep forgetting I've dated crazier people than that guy," she said, "I'm used to it."

He rolled his eyes at his twin. "You know that's not what I meant," he said bitterly.

Mabel's smile dropped a little. "He's giving us enough money to last us a life time. Grunkle Stan will kill us if he found out we turned this down," she explained, almost glumly.

"Do you honestly believe he has gold? Sure, we saw him with one, but that doesn't mean he has more! I'm only putting up with him because you are, and I want to know why you act like he's an old friend one minute, then act like he's a complete stranger the next!" Dipper rambled, throwing his arms up in frustration.

Mabel sighed, fidgeting with the hem of her sweater. Dipper had to admit he was impressed that she still loved her sweaters to this day, never taking one off unless it was too hot to handle. But, now that they were going to college in two months, Mabel's confidence for her body skyrocketed. That would probably explain the sudden attention she got in high school.

"You don't know Bill like I do," Mabel mumbled. 

"You said so yourself that you met him yesterday! Do I have to remind you of who Bill decided to harass the whole time?" Dipper asked, breathing heavily. His sister didn't get it. She didn't get how embarrassing and annoying Bill was like he did.

"Yes, but- I- I've heard stories about him before. I recognized him from the start, and I just know you can't be messing with him," Mabel replied, squeezing her hands together in anticipation. Dipper sneered. Of course. Bill was probably famous for being a drug dealer or something, and Mabel just didn't want to seem too rude around him.

"So, do you like him or do you hate him?" Dipper pushed.

"What do you mean?" Mabel questioned with a frown.

"I mean, when you first saw him in the Mystery Shack, you acted like he killed Waddles or something. Then, when we come here to the arcade with us, you act like the two of you were old buddies. So, what is it, Mabel?" Dipper asked in pure curiosity. His twin tilted her head, scrunching up her nose. "He offered us five gold bars. I know this sounds like I'm a gold digger -ha ha, get it?- but he'll probably rip up the deal if we're being rude to him," Mabel began. She gave him a small frown of disappointment, like the frown their parents wear when one of them got anything lower than a B- on their test.

"And, with what I can tell, Bill really doesn't like your attitude," Mabel accused.

Dipper put his hands up to his chest. "Look, I'm sorry. Wouldn't you be pissed at the guy who tried making you dance all night too?" Dipper asked.

Mabel shrugged. "Well, if he was cute, I would've probably thanked the universe," she giggled. Dipper's eyes narrowed.

"Are you implying that Bill's hot?" he asked in surprise.

Mabel snorted, then burst out laughing. "Wha- what? No! What the hell, Dipper?" Mabel laughed, holding her stomach like it was the funniest thing in the world. She banged on the machine mercilessly, and Dipper was forced to wait for his twin to calm down. "Although," she said slowly, her lips turning up in a cat's smile, "do _you_ think Bill Cipher is hot?"

Dipper almost choked on his own spit. This time, it was his turn to laugh, but he laughed a tad more reserved than Mabel's laughter was. "That guy? Mabel, just no. Besides, the thought of him and me together-" Dipper shivered.

His partner in crime gave him an approving smile. "Atta boy. No falling in love with weird men, right?" she said, punching his shoulder lightly. He punched her shoulder back.

"Right," he said with a forced smile.

The truth? He had no absolute idea if he liked Bill or not, if it was just hormones or actual feelings.

Mabel glanced behind him and her smile became strained. "Speak of the demon and he shall appear," she chirped merrily.

Dipper looked behind him, and saw Bill coming towards them with a sack of stuffed animals. "What in the-?" he mumbled under his breath.

"Pine Tree, Shooting Star! You guys never told me that the machine with the stuffed animals was so easy to rig! Look, I got five for the each of us!" Bill said with a maniac laugh. He tossed the sack to Dipper, who in turn, gave it to Mabel, who squealed in delight.

"YES!" Mabel screamed, pumping her arm in victory.

Bill leaned in towards Dipper. "You didn't tell me Shooting Star loved these cotton-stuffed dead animals. I would've given her a lot by now," he whispered. Dipper glared at him.

"Alright, if you need me, I'm going to spend these tokens so we can go home la-" Dipper started with a sigh.

"Aw, but I'm tired now!" Bill complained.

"So?" Dipper asked dryly.

"Let's go home!" he suggested.

"First of all, I'm not taking you home, and secondly-" Dipper began angrily.

"Yeah, let's go home, Dipper! I have to put all of these guys on my shelf!" Mabel squealed, bouncing up and down like an energized bunny. 

Dipper sighed, running a hand down his face. "Fine," he gave in, "but we're not bringing Bill."

"Aw, come on, Pine Tree! I wanna see your house!" he said with a grin, leaning in towards Dipper. "It's not even a house, it's a shack," Dipper grumbled, pushing him away.

"Just take Bill along, Dipper! We'll just drop him off at his house as soon as I put away my friends," she said, holding up the sack. Mabel got a thoughtful look on her face and turned to face Bill. "Say, where _is_ your house?" Mabel asked curiously.

Bill's smile never left as he said, "I don't have one. I just go wherever I please."

Mabel looked at her twin in surprise. Dipper shrugged, but he couldn't shake off the feeling of pity and dread that passed through him. "You...you're homeless?" Mabel asked with a strained voice. Bill swung his cane around, humming to himself.

"Well...yeah, if you put it that way, Shooting Star," he hummed. Mabel had a pitying look on her face. She looked back at Dipper with a pout.

He knew exactly what she was thinking. They had two bare guest rooms now (thanks to renovation they got done a few years back), and it just needed some cleaning. Not to mention all the extra space they have now that Soos, Stan, and Ford left. Stan and Ford just left this morning for another Stan O' War expedition, and weren't coming back until October. It was getting lonely in the Mystery Shack, and Dipper hated to admit that to himself.

"No," he snapped immediately.

"But-" Mabel began.

"No, Mabel! This is taking it too far!" Dipper snapped angrily, his crossed arms tense. 

"Will you excuse us for two minutes?" Mabel asked sweetly, looking at Bill with a small smile. Bill shrugged, leaning against the back of an arcade machine and gesturing for them to continue. "Thanks," Mabel chirped, grabbing Dipper's elbow and pulling him away from Bill.

She huddled next to him. "Dipper, didn't you hear him? He's homeless!" Mabel cried.

"So? You heard him, he already has a living! I mean, if you really believe he had all that gold, it was  _his_ fucking choice if he decided to be homeless," Dipper hissed.

"Maybe he doesn't know how to manage a house," Mabel suggested with a grave look. With what he's seen from Bill so far, he probably didn't know how to handle food or take of himself either. Dipper almost grimaced. 

"Then it's his problem," he said with a sigh. He was about to turn around when Mabel suddenly pulled him back.

"He's giving us five gold bars just so he can hang out with us for a while," Mabel said, a somewhat begging tone to her voice. 

"Exactly. It doesn't sound logical. It all just seems desperate and weird," Dipper replied with a shake of his head.

"The least we can do is let him live with us, even for a while. Maybe just until the end of summer, when we go back to college, and we'll let him be," Mabel begged.

Dipper thought for a while. He hated Bill with a passion, and Mabel seemed to as well. But his sister had a good heart, and in a way, so did he. If Bill was really homeless, why couldn't he just rent himself an apartment or something? It just all seemed like an act to Dipper, but at the same time, he kind of believed it. Bill proved to him that he clearly didn't understand how things worked around here. So hesitantly, he nodded.

"Until the end of summer. And he goes out," Dipper said bluntly.

Mabel grinned and bobbed her head.

They both turned to look at Bill, who was watching two little girls eat ice cream with a confused look.

"Hey Cipher!" Mabel called. Bill looked at them and smiled. "How do you feel about living with us?" she asked with a grin.

Bill's smile formed into a grin. Mabel's smile was contagious. Bill swung his cane around a hand and stopped leaning against the arcade machine. He licked his lips, and Dipper's jaw slackened. He didn't like this one bit.

"I'd love to! On one condition, though."


	5. Mental Abuse To Humans/Demons

_"I wanna sleep next to you_  
_But that's all I wanna do right now_  
_And I wanna come home to you_  
_But home is just a room full of my safest sounds_  
_Cause you know that I can't trust myself with my 3AM shadow_  
_I'd rather fuel a fantasy than deal with this alone_  
_I wanna sleep next to you_  
_But that's all I wanna do right now_  
_So come over now and talk me down."_

**[Talk Me Down | Troye Sivan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT8h-ku17Wc) **

* * *

Dipper regretted his decision almost immediately.

They brought Bill home after a long-winded argument with the manipulative fuck, but of course, Bill got his way. _It wasn't fair, this isn't fair!_ Dipper chanted in his mind, pacing around his room while Mabel sat on his bed, watching him with an amused, lazy grin. "Oh come on, Bro Bro, it isn't _that_ bad," Mabel assured him.

" _Not that bad_? Do you realize what you've _done_ , Mabel? You're basically sentencing me to be betrothed to that...that _thing,_ " Dipper said with a shudder, one hand around his chin while the other was on his hip.

"That _thing_ just gave us five gold bars," Mabel answered, nodding her head to the five gold bars arranged like a pyramid on Dipper's desk. They both agreed to take it to the Gravity Falls bank tomorrow, as they both didn't feel like going out anywhere other than the Mystery Shack at the moment. Though Dipper didn't want to admit it, he was surprised and relieved that this all wasn't a sham. It would just make things incredibly harder.

Dipper grunted in a stubborn way. "Okay, fine. Sure, he gave us enough money to last us years. But-" he took a deep breath to get a hold of himself. "-do you really want to live with _him_?" Dipper asked his sister incredulously. He stared at her, waiting for her answer. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. He won't believe it even if the whole city told him so. He downright refused to be anywhere near Bill, might as well be sleeping under the same roof as him.

Mabel fiddled with the hem of her sweater, looking smug and amused at Dipper's distress. "Okay, I'm not _entirely_ sure about him living with-" Mabel began.

"HA!" her twin interrupted, throwing his hands up in the air. Mabel huffed out a breath, uncrossing her legs. She began to swing her legs back and forth, like a little girl.

"-but letting him live with us in exchange for a butt-load of money is more than fair," she finished.

Dipper growled under his breath. "I can't believe this," he grumbled, pacing around his room like a predator. Mabel watched him with a small frown.

"Bro-Bro," she said softly, "if I can put up with Bill, then so can you. He'll be gone before you know it." Dipper took a deep breath through his nose, looking at his sister with a disbelieving look.

"No one has ever made me this annoyed," he said slowly, "and that's saying a lot, Mabel. Not even Pacifica or Gideon has made me so...angry at just once glance at them. I know it sounds crazy, but Bill..."

He didn't realize he trailed off until he saw Mabel grinning at him like crazy out of the corner of his eye. "What?" he asked, frowning at his twin. Sometimes, twin telepathy did him no favors.

"Broseph," she began, "do you... _like_ Bill Cipher?" There was a sparkle in her eyes as she wiggled her eyebrows. He had a feeling she was waiting to say something along those lines of words for a very long time. 

A wave of emotions hit Dipper like a tidal wave. First, anger, flusteredness, embarrassment, disbelief- just basically every emotion he could think of. Of course, because of it, his face heated up. "W- why the hell would I like Bill?" Dipper hissed, hating how he momentarily stuttered in the beginning. "He's a weird ass guy with ten fingers and two legs. Why would I be attracted to _that_?"

A crash sounded in the kitchen, followed by a voice musing, "Pain is hilarious!"

Dipper and Mabel cringed. He gave his sister a knowing look. "Make that a weird ass guy with a few fingers and a leg," he lamented.

Mabel snickered, hopping off his bed. "We should probably look and see what Bill did," she giggled. Dipper huffed, crossing his arms, but nonetheless followed his sister down the stairs to see what the idiot did this time.

When they finally came down the stairs, Mabel put a hand over her mouth. Dipper's jaw clenched. " _Cipher!_ " Dipper barked angrily.

Bill stuck out his head, a pot on his head. "Hey, Pine Tree, Shooting Star, look!" Bill chirped happily, "I'm a _pot head!_ Get it? Honestly, I don't either. I just heard someone say it in the arcade."

Dipper massaged his nose bridge, feeling his temples throb. The whole living room looked like it was cleaned out by a chimpanzee. The couch was overturned, the TV was turned on to a cooking channel, the table was upside down, and chip bags littered the floor. How did Bill manage to get everything so dirty in the span of three minutes Dipper went up to talk with Mabel?

"If you want to live here, you have to act like one of us. Clean all this shit up or I'm kicking you and your gold bars out of this house," Dipper snarled. Bill gazed at him, a sparkle in his dark eyes. Almost like he was taunting Dipper. And right when Dipper was about to step forward and force Bill to get out of the house himself, Bill shrugged. "Alright, kid, I'll do it. Just go with Shooting Star and make up your mind onto where I sleep," he said.

"Wait, how did you-?" Dipper began suspiciously. Bill left behind the kitchen door.

Dipper let out a strangled growl, running a hand through his curls. He wasn't wearing his hat right now, as he left it on his desk when Mabel and him started talking. Mabel grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the living room and up the stairs. She shut Dipper's door behind them, but it wasn't long before Bill shouted, "Reality is an illusion. The Universe is a hologram. Buy gold, bye!" Dipper didn't know who he was yelling at. Maybe the pig. He didn't know.

"He has a point, Broseph," Mabel sniffed, "I may or may not have forgotten about his sleeping schedule."

Dipper groaned, rubbing a hand over the right side of his face. This day was just getting worst and worst, and it was only the afternoon! Thankfully, the Shack was closed today because it was a Tuesday, since Dipper and Mabel decided to close it on those respective days. "I guess we'll let him sleep on the couch," he grumbled.

"What? Dipper, no! We have to give him something more comfortable than that!" Mabel cried. He scowled at the floorboards beneath them.

"The guest rooms aren't done being cleaned out yet. It's the only choice we have. We'll let him sleep in a guest room tomorrow," he offered with a shrug.

Mabel looked at him disapprovingly. What? He was speaking his mind, and it wasn't like he said that they should make Bill sleep outside. "Alright, fine. But he takes some of your pillows and blanket," she finally said. 

"What?! Mabel, I literally only have like, two pillows!" Dipper protested. _And it's your fault most of my pillows are gone,_ he wanted to grumble.

Mabel smirked. "Deal with it, Broseph," she chirped.

"How about _your_ pillows and _your_ blanket? All of this-" he flailed his arms around for emphasis, "-was your idea!"

His twin got a thoughtful look on her face. Another crash sounded downstairs, and Dipper gritted his teeth. "You give him a blanket, and I give him a pillow or two," she offered. Dipper grunted.

"Okay, fine," he agreed begrudgingly.

"Also, don't forget about the deal," Mabel reminded. Of course, the deal. Basically, the deal was that Bill had to work at the Shack while he stayed there. He wasn't taught on how to do all the Shack stuff, so Dipper had to teach him sooner or later. Dipper had no idea how this benefited Bill, but whatever. One free worker, he guessed.

"I'll teach him tomorrow," Dipper said. Mabel glared at him. "Okay, okay! I'll teach him later today," Dipper gave in, putting up his hands in surrender.

"That's better," his twin sang out happily. She felt for the knob behind her and opened the door. "After you, my wayward bro," she said in a British accent. Dipper snorted, walking past her and down the stairs.

The living room presented before him was completely clean.

"Yo! What's the hold up?" Mabel complained, trying to look behind Dipper. She looked over his shoulder, and her eyes widened. "Oh," was her only response.

Bill sat on one of the couches watching Ker-Prank'd on the TV with a disinterested look. His eyes flickered over to them, and his lips spread in a sinister grin. "Ah! The Pines! Look at this show, I could create clowns scarier than that," Bill said with a snort. Dipper and Mabel completely made their way down, looking around the living room in wonder.

"How did you...?" Dipper stuttered.

"Don't look so surprised, Pine Tree. I told you I would clean," Bill replied with a lopsided grin.

Dipper exhaled through his nose. This was getting weird. "Just-" he began, then inhaled. _Breathe, Dipper,_ he thought. "We're going to teach you how to work at the Shack in a couple minutes. You might want to get ready," he decided to say. Mabel flashed him a curious glance.

"Finally, Pine Tree! I was waiting all day for you to say that!" Bill groaned, leaning against his sofa chair. Dipper wasn't amused, crossing his arms tightly. 

"Who gets excited to work?" Mabel whispered to him.

"A psychotic eye-patch villain," Dipper whispered back stiffly. His twin snickered, causing Bill to give them an unimpressed, curious look.

"You might want to make that now, Pine Tree. I feel like working," Bill lilted. Dipper squinted at him.

"Did you just say you wanted to _work_?" Dipper asked in disbelief. Bill was definitely not normal. He needed serious help. 

"Do you have ears, Pine Tree?" Bill replied with a scoff. Mabel snickered behind Dipper, causing Dipper to step on her foot to make her shut up. She squeaked out a sound, and he could feel her glaring at him, but he didn't turn around.

Dipper kept staring at the blond-haired boy, waiting for him to jump up and say, "Just kidding!" But, of course, that never happened. Bill was really serious about working. "C'mon," Dipper growled, pivoting on one heel and making his way out the door to the gift shop. He sped-walked, hoping that Bill couldn't keep up, but the guy just casually walked beside him with grace, making Dipper's blood boil. "I'll teach you how to set up the gifts first," Dipper grumbled.

Mabel chirped out a good-bye to them, excusing herself to go out to the mall with some friends. "What kind of gifts do you guys sell in this rusty old Shack anyway? Dragon tears, human skin, blood of the gnomes?" Bill asked in curiosity. Dipper gave him a weird look. This guy had the worst humor ever.

"We sell merchandise like snow globes and hats for the tourists," he answered dryly, just to humor Bill.

Bill tutted, looking at the snow globes lined up on a shelf. "This is where we met," Bill suddenly stated. Dipper moved over to the cash register and opened it, taking out the money. "So, what do those tourists give you in exchange of these knockoffs? Their soul or their heart?" Bill asked again. Dipper snorted. Bill's humor was getting drier and weirder.

"Money, like every single store."

Bill hummed under his breath, walking around the gift shop with a disinterest in his eyes. "What do you want me to do, Pine Tree? Reorganize these maps alphabetically?" Bill asked boredly, pointing at the pile of maps next to the cash register. Dipper rolled his eyes.

"They're all the same," he answered.

"Pity," Bill sniffed. He moved away from the maps, looking around with hands on his hips. Thankfully, his cane was nowhere to be found. Bill's one eye moved around like crazy, as if drinking everything in. And for the first time, Dipper noticed Bill wasn't wearing a top hat. In fact, Bill hasn't worn that top hat since the dance.

"When a new order comes through -which, I think would be on Friday- it's your job to just line them all up as shown," Dipper said, waving a hand through the air. Bill made a noise out of the back of his throat in approval. "Since you probably know how that works, I'll teach you how to work the cash register," Dipper said once more. He beckoned Bill to come over, and with a sigh, Bill dramatically slouched forward.

"What is with your obsession with green paper with dead old men stamped on it?" Bill snorted, leaning in to the cash register.

"We need the money to survive, Bill," Dipper said impatiently. Dipper took out the five dollar bills. "When a tourist comes over to you, check the price and make sure they give you the right amount-" Bill's eyes narrowed, a curious and confused look on his face. Dipper ignored him, and continued, "-and add the taxes. Make sure to give them change if they-"

"Taxes?" Bill asked, the word foreign on his tongue. His eyebrows were knitted together, and he was fiddling with his hands. Dipper gave him a disbelieving look.

"Seriously?" he said, looking at Bill to see if he was going to just smirk and say he was kidding. But, like before, Bill didn't and was completely serious.

"I'm German, kid. I have no idea what that is," Bill said. 

Dipper had a feeling he was lying, but he shrugged it off. This was just getting ridiculous. "Turn the percentage into a decimal, Bill. All you have to do is-" he began. He saw Bill's much more confused face, and Dipper made an impatient noise. "Fine. Just subtract the damn-" he began again. But Bill still looked confused. Oh _great_.

"Do you even know how to add or subtract?" Dipper asked in suspicion.

"No," Bill admitted. His face looked so confused and lost, like a lost puppy kicked on the side of the street. It made Dipper's anger deflate. They were going to go nowhere if Dipper didn't teach him what he didn't know. He knew how it felt to know nothing and to be scolded for something he couldn't handle. 

"I'll be right back," he said with a small sigh.

Bill saluted him, looking around the gift shop in curiosity and suspicion, like he suspected a monster was going to run from behind the shirt rack. Dipper made his way through the living room, where Mabel was still putting on socks. Then he curtly nodded to her in greeting and opened the closet in the hallway. He stepped in and coughed, dust coming into his nose. He waved a hand in front of his face and looked around the back. 

When he found it, he grabbed it, dusted off the front, and closed the closet door behind him with a heel. He made his way back to the gift shop, relieved to see that Bill didn't touch anything while he was gone. He plopped the math textbook onto the counter, making Bill lean in towards it in interest.

"What's that? A spell book to summon other demons?" Bill asked excitedly.

Dipper rolled his eyes, opening the third grade textbook to the first page. The first unit in the book was subtraction and addition. "Read the textbook, do questions one through seven, and tell me if you finish," Dipper told him, grabbing a pen and paper from the counter and slamming it onto the counter. Bill sat down on a small stool and grabbed the pen and paper, looking at the textbook like it was written in hieroglyphs.

Dipper began counting the money, his eyes becoming droopy. He counted the fives, then the tens, then the twenties. He got himself a notepad and pen, writing down how much money they had and what they had to use it for. It suddenly became quiet in the gift shop, with Dipper mumbling under his breath and Bill chicken-scratching all over the paper.

Bill rested his head on his hand, his head drooping as he stared at the textbook. He wrote something down, then erased it with an impatient growl. Dipper saw the paper out of the corner of his eye, and saw that it was full of numbers and chicken-scratch that was almost unrecognizable to read. But, he had to put up with Mabel's writing for years, so he could deal with it.

After a couple moments, Bill began wiggling his pencil in front of him in a way that made it look rubbery. His one eye twinkled with amusement.

Bill grinned, staring at it. The textbook was completely abandoned. "Bill," Dipper snapped, "keep working." The boy groaned, like a little boy being asked to eat his vegetables.

"But I'm on question five and it's _hard_!" Bill whined. Dipper rolled his eyes, put down the money, and leaned over to check the textbook.

"Go the next number to the left and borrow," Dipper began, pointing at the number. Bill stuck out his tongue to the side, then scratched out the left number on his paper and replaced it with a number lower. "Give the right number a boost from it," Dipper said again.

"Ten...right?" Bill asked in a strained voice. Dipper nodded, watching as Bill wrote that in and subtracted.

"Good, good. Do you get it now?" Dipper asked, nodding his approval.

"Yeah," Bill said with a confident smirk.

Dipper went back to counting money, praying that Bill would finally get it finished without any more help. "Ten, fifteen, twenty, ugh, damn it Mabel...seventy two for Waddles' food-" Dipper began under his breath. A spit ball hit him right on the head, but he ignored it. "Fifteen for the-" he said through gritted teeth.

" _Pssst!_ Pine Tree!" Bill hissed under his breath.

Dipper decided to ignore it. "Two hundred for the next shipping, with thirty for the cost-" he began again. Another spit ball.

"Pine Tree! Pine Tree! Jeez, are you deaf?"

Dipper gripped the counter top with a hand and whipped around to look at Bill. "What?" he hissed. Bill tilted his head to the side, smiling innocently.

"I'm finished," he said happily.

Dipper rolled his eyes and took the pen and paper, looking through his stuff. He checked most of it, and circled question six. "You have to use the bottom column," he explained. Bill pouted and quickly changed the equation.

"There. Happy now, Pine Tree?" Bill grumbled.

Dipper smirked, bobbing his head. "You can work the cash register when I'm watching," Dipper announced.

"What? Kid, I can take care of myself," Bill argued.

"Do I have to remind you that you just started to learn how to subtract?" Dipper asked breezily.

Bill gave him a look. "Fine," Bill agreed with a sigh.

Dipper then realized that something was a little off. Of the few days he knew Bill, he could tell that the guy had a huge ego. Why would he just calmly accept learning something new without sounding hurt or prideful? As if Bill heard his thoughts, he waved a hand and said, "I may have a big ego, kid, but learning more can't hurt it. In fact, I think it's helping to boost my pride."

"Oh. Well," Dipper began, unsure of how to proceed, "I guess that's all you have to know about working at the gift shop. Let's go to the museum exhibit."

Bill smirked. "Finally, I get to see something fun," he cheered, stretching his back.


	6. The Movie of Nope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just saying, this is my favorite chapter I have written so far lol

_"Everything I do is bittersweet  
You could tell me secrets that I'll probably repeat  
I'm not trying to hurt you, I just love to speak  
It feels like we're pulling teeth  
So bittersweet_  
_I guess that's how it's gotta be."_

**[Bittersweet | Panic! at the Disco](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUZReNjIduA) **

* * *

"Popcorn for my Bro-Bro and Billy Boy!" Mabel sang, handing each of them a bowl.

Bill thanked her -"Thanks, Shooting Star."- and Dipper gave his sister a small smile in thanks. He began munching one popcorn at a time, while Bill merely looked at one kernel in curiosity. Mabel plopped onto the couch with them, at one end. Dipper was in the middle, almost squished in between his sister and psychotic one-eyed idiot.

"So, what movie?" Mabel asked happily, taking a handful of popcorn. 

Dipper thought for a while, grabbing the Netflix remote from Mabel's hand and scrolling through all the movies. "Hmm," he hummed, "Documentary again?"

Mabel shrugged. "I feel like choosing a Rom-Com," she admitted. Dipper made a noise from the back of his throat.

"You chose that last time! It's my turn," Dipper complained, looking through the documentary section.

Mabel grabbed the remote out of his hand, going back to the selection. "Wh- hey!" Dipper protested. He tried to grab it back, but Mabel pushed his face away, cycling through the romantic comedies section. "You can choose next time!" Dipper shouted.

"Dude, no one wants to watch documentaries about elephant feces," his twin snorted.

"Mabel, give it back!" Dipper gritted out.

Mabel was knocked off the sofa from the force of Dipper's pounce, causing the remote to fly out of her hands and slide through the wooden floor. "Ugh, look at what you did!" Mabel groaned, trying to keep Dipper away. Dipper tackled her to the ground, pulling her feet away like a scene from a horror movie. He lunged for the remote, but Mabel grabbed his pants and pulled it down.

Dipper fell to the ground, his pants half way gone from his legs, and he quickly pulled it back up and tried to get up as fast as he can. Mabel was halfway across the living room, almost to the remote. Dipper took off his hat and threw it right at the back of her head, making her stop for a second to regain her balance with a yelp. 

That was the one second he needed, and he sprinted right for the Netflix remote.

Mabel tackled him to the ground, and they both fell in a heap. "It's my turn!" Dipper screamed.

"So? No one wants to watch elephant porn!" Mabel screamed back.

"It's not-!" Dipper shouted back.

"Oh my God, Dipper!" Mabel shouted, exasperated, huffing out a breath as she tried mercilessly to reach over to get the remote. Dipper crawled from underneath her, trying to reach for the remote.

As they both struggled, they saw a pair of feet come to view. They stopped, and watched as Bill took the remote and admire it up close to his face with a smirk. "So..." he trailed off, looking at the wrestling twins with a smile, "how about horror?"

Dipper and Mabel got up, looking at him unsurely. "Uh...are you sure, Bill? I mean-" Mabel began, her head tilted slightly to the side.

"I'm sure, Shooting Star," Bill interrupted, stepping backwards and flopping back onto the couch with a lazy grin. "Hmmm..." he hummed, scrolling through the selection of horror movies. He had to keep looking down at the remote, as if he didn't know which one was the forward or reverse button.

Reluctantly, Dipper and Mabel sat back down, looking at each with curious glances. Sure, Bill seemed like the guy to watch horror movies, but they both had a bad feeling about this. "So, uh," Mabel began, "the Purge?"

Bill shook his head, his nose wrinkled in disgust. "A movie about the US government letting people kill? Bleh," he said in a sneer, his eyes glued to the big TV screen. Dipper and Mabel stared at each other. They really, _really_ didn't like where this was going. They sat in almost complete silence, eating their popcorn and Pitt Cola quietly as they watched Bill cycle through the movies almost boredly.

Dipper drooped his head to his chin and closed his eyes. He had a long day, teaching Bill basic math and forcing him to get into better clothes and whatnot. Mabel didn't even bother to help, as she went out with some friends to the damn mall. Dipper wondered if he could force her to run the Shack for the whole day tomorrow, but then he changed his mind. He'll think of something later. But right now, he wanted to sleep. Bill might take until tomorrow morning until he found a semi-decent horror movie.

"Aha!" Bill shouted, making Dipper and Mabel jump in surprise.

Waddles ran away from Mabel's lap in fright, making Mabel glare at Bill. Bill grinned in an attempt to look apologetic. "I found a movie, Pine Tree, Shooting Star," he said, drawling their nicknames.

"Which is...?" Dipper trailed off.

"How do you guys feel about..." Bill began, humming a tune to himself that sounded a lot like 'Disco Girl', "...the Human Centipede 2?"

Mabel almost fell off the couch.

Dipper's face paled. "W- what?" he sputtered. Mabel looked almost about ready to puke. They both had bad memories watching the first installment, and they both vowed to each other not to watch it ever again. They both agreed they would rather kiss a gnome than to watch it ever again.

"What? Scared of a human centipede, Pine Tree?" Bill mused, looking at the twins in amusement. He swung his feet to the coffee table in disinterest, waiting for their answer.

"W- well," Dipper stammered, squirming, "Bill, the Human Centipede isn't really-"

Bill waved a hand in disinterest, clicking the Human Centipede 2 icon. The 'play now' button showed up, and Bill hovered his thumb over the remote.

"Bill, don't-!" Mabel squeaked.

And then he pressed the play button.

They were so _utterly_ fucked.

Dipper automatically brought his blanket up his chin, much to Bill's amusement. Mabel squeaked, throwing her pink and purple blanket up her face and turned away from the screen. Waddles was no where to be seen. The music started to play, and Dipper felt shivers down his spine. Oh lord. He remembered watching for the first time with Mabel in the cinema. He passed out halfway through, and Mabel was already gone to the bathroom at the first scene.

Bill hummed Disco Girl under his breath, stuffing popcorn after popcorn into his mouth. "This seems like a good movie," he commented lightly. Mabel and Dipper was too shocked and choked up to respond. Dipper, even though it was quiet, could hear Mabel saying a prayer under her breath.

He hoped that he survived tonight.

* * *

"Oh my fucking God," Dipper moaned, hiding under his blanket.

Barbed wires. Feces. _Oh my God._

How was he going to be sane ever again after watching this movie?

"Barbed wires..." Mabel mumbled, rocking back and forth on the couch as she stared at the wall, away from the screen. "Oh lord help me...." she mumbled again, shivering.

Bill, on the other hand, was staring at the screen with frozen shock and horror.

They were on the baby scene, and Dipper didn't want to peek over to look at it. In fact, the idea of throwing the TV out the house was sounding to be a good idea right now. "Bill," Dipper moaned, "just turn off the TV!"

Bill was still watching, his hand on his chin, looking at the screen with horrified interest. "No way, Pine Tree," Bill mumbled underneath his breath, "this is literally everything I ever wanted."

Yup, Bill was insane.

Dipper scooted away from Bill in an attempt to get away. The scene was just opening, and he didn't want to see anymore than he already seen. And how long has it been? Twenty minutes into the movie?

"Bill," Dipper hissed, "if you don't turn off the TV _right now_ I'm going to kick you out of here." Bill hummed, his eyes still on the screen. Even in the dark, Dipper could see that Bill was incredibly disturbed. His eyebrows were pulled together, sweat was staining his shirt and neck, and his eyes kept flitting away from the screen and back.

"Kid, I've seen more disturbing things than this," Bill assured him. Then he thought for a while. "Although, I never thought humans would ever..." he trailed off, a disgusted look on his face when the man-

"NOPE."

Dipper shoved the blanket up his face, looking down at the sofa. He heard a faint sigh, then a thudding sound. He peeked over at Mabel, and saw that his poor sister fainted and fell off the couch. It was like fifth grade all over again for Dipper.

Bill made a disgusted noise, his eyes widening. Blood poured everywhere and the woman screamed, making Dipper cringe even though he couldn't see anything. "Pine Tree," Bill said slowly, "where's the remote?"

Dipper looked up from his blanket fortress, looking around the littered floor of Pitt Cola and tossed popcorn. His heart started to hammer in his chest. He couldn't find it anywhere. _Oh God, oh God, oh God-_

"It's- it's not here," Dipper said in a jumble, his eyes wide with terror. He was purposely avoiding the TV screen, trying so hard not to look at it. But even with his effort, he kept seeing the scene out of the corner of his eye. It was just about ready to get to the part where-

Bill screamed, stuffing his head in Dipper's neck.

Dipper froze, his eyes still on the ground where he finally found the remote hidden under the TV. This wasn't on his bucket list. This _definitely_ wasn't supposed to happen.

"Bill," he breathed, trying to ignore the frozen feeling in his heart, "the remote."

"Well?" Bill hissed. "Turn off the goddamn TV, I am not seeing this crappy movie ever again!" he barked, keeping his head in Dipper's neck. Dipper couldn't move. Well, how could he? Bill had his head stuffed in his neck, and he could feel Bill breathing heavily, occasionally taking a deeper breath as if breathing Dipper in. Dipper suddenly got self-conscious on how he smelled. He hasn't taken a shower in like, days.

"Well, why won't _you_?" Dipper hissed, trying to shift away from Bill.

"You're closer!" Bill argued.

Dipper gave him a glare. The remote was right in front of the TV, and no way in hell was he going to go over there and get it. Nope. Just no.

"You're the guest. And you chose the movie!" Dipper argued back.

"I swear to God I am going to kick your balls if you don't-!" Bill shouted.

"Wha- whushappenin'?" Mabel began with a slurred tone, getting up and looking around. She saw the TV, looked at it for like three seconds, then fainted once more. Dipper couldn't blame her.

"How do you know what the hell balls are but not laptops?" Dipper hissed.

"It's a German thing!" Bill argued. "Get the damn remote already, Pine Tree!"

"Okay, _okay_!"

Dipper scrambled out of seat and lunged for the remote, keeping his hat pulled low so he couldn't see the screen. He grabbed it, held it in his hands, fumbled for a moment, and pointed it at the screen. He tried to power down the TV, but he must have hit the 'lock' button that Stan installed. Oh _no_.

"Pine Tree, what's taking so long?!" Bill screamed, hiding underneath Dipper's blanket and down-right refusing to look at the screen.

"Uh- uh, hold on!" Dipper stammered, fumbling with the remote. The remote fell out of his hands, and he lunged for it. He smashed a random button in attempt to corrupt the system, but instead, the volume went up from 30% to 100%, the screams tearing through the room even louder than before. 

"PINE TREE!" Bill screeched, looking up from his blanket fortress. His one eye locked on Dipper. It was full of panic.

"I'm trying! I'm trying! I'm sorry!" Dipper yelled, trying to force the volume down. Screams, blood splatter, then-

Dipper unlocked the TV, and clicked the power off button.

But it required a password.

"What?!" Dipper screeched, looking around the living room as if the answer would just be beyond here. Bill looked at him with desperation. Stan must've set it up so his brother wouldn't turn off the TV while he watched the old lady channel.

"You need to make a deal with me," Bill said with intense calmness.

"Deal?! Bill, we're in the middle of-!"

"Just do it, Pine Tree!" Bill snapped, holding out his hand.

"W- what deal?" Dipper stuttered, looking down at the remote like it would give him answers.

Bill licked his lips. "Just pick one off the top of your head!" Bill yelled.

"I can't think of one!" Dipper replied with a cringe, as the TV behind him filled with black and red.

Bill thought for a while, his Adam's apple bobbing in nervousness. "Let me sleep in your room next week," he finally negotiated.

Dipper almost let go of the remote. "What?! Bill, we have a damn guest ro-!" Dipper began.

"Doesn't matter! It doesn't benefit me, or you. But it's still a deal. I sleep in your room next week, you get the password," Bill finally said. For some reason, his words stung slightly. 

Dipper was so utterly confused, but he had no choice. It was absurd, to say the least, but he reached over and shook hands with Bill Cipher.

He felt a tingle at the nape of his neck, and he shuddered. Bill's one eye seemed to glow red, but it might just be the movie behind them reflecting in his eye. Bill took a deep breath, and held out a hand. Hesitantly, Dipper gave him the remote.

Bill worked fast, pressing ten buttons with tense shoulders before he relaxed and pressed a final one. The TV shut off immediately, and Dipper let out a loosened sigh.

He leaned against the coffee table leg, putting an arm over his eyes. "H- how did you-?" Dipper began, peeking up from his covered arm to Bill. Bill had his arms crossed, his one eye staring at the floorboard beneath him while he frowned. For such an intense moment, that was pretty anti-climatic. 

"You made a deal, and I kept it. That's how it works, kid," Bill said, his voice distant and soft.

"Deal?! Dude, all you had to do was get the remote from me and punch in the code, not just- make a damn deal and- and-!" Dipper began, his arms up in the air while he rambled on. Bill only made that deal so he could sleep in Dipper's room. He was so damn gullible.

Bill smirked at Dipper. "I didn't know the code until you made that deal," Bill said slowly, as if talking to an angered toddler.

"As if," Dipper huffed. Bill rolled his eyes, leaning back against the couch with hands folded over his stomach.

"I think I ate too much of that popped white corn, Pine Tree," Bill whined.

"Well, that's your own fault," Dipper said, coming back over to the couch. He sat on one end, so he doesn't freak Bill out with being touchy-feely. But, to his surprise, Bill raised an eyebrow at him and patted the spot next to him.

"Dude, I don't think that's such a good-" Dipper began.

"Don't be such a pine tree, Pine Tree," Bill scoffed, staring at Dipper to move next to him. "And besides," Bill added, "I'm holding your blanket right now."

Dipper grumbled underneath his breath, scooting just a _little_ bit closer. "I'm not turning that TV on ever again," he shuddered. He saw Bill gulp, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

"What if we made Miss Northwest open the TV for us next time?" Bill asked, giving Dipper a sly look. It kind of made Dipper's heart lurch, but he did his best to ignore it.

"You do realize that Pacifica would sue you for like a million dollars if you did that?" Dipper said with a nervous laugh.

"Let her, as long as her mind scars forever," Bill grunted, a small smile playing on his lips.

Dipper rolled his eyes. He ripped the blanket away from Bill -he pouted at Dipper, but Dipper decided to ignore that- and put the blanket up this chin, leaning his head against his propped up hand. The grandfather clock in the room was the only sound ticking away. Bill was quietly fidgeting with his thumbs while his tongue stuck out -something Dipper thought was very, unnervingly cute- while Dipper stared off into space.

He was thinking about what to do in college. He still hasn't picked a profession, even though out of him and Mabel, he was the most excited. Mabel chose creative arts and drama off the hook when Dipper asked, but for some reason, he had a hard time choosing one for himself. He always wanted to teach, but now that he was eighteen, almost nineteen, teaching people seemed...meh. He even thought about becoming an author, like his Grunkle Ford, but each time he tried to write, his mind just, well, shuts off.

While he thought about his profession, he tried his best _not_ to think about the guy sitting next to him, twiddling his thumbs like a grounded kid.

With a sigh, Dipper got up. Bill looked up at him, waiting for him to speak. "Go to sleep, Bill," Dipper said tiredly, bundling up his blanket on his elbow. The couch was now bare, and Bill frowned at him.

"Are you at least going to give me a blanket and pillow? I'm not a fan of rock hard couches," Bill said, patting the couch.

"Fine, I'll get you some things," Dipper grumbled.

He walked back up the stairs and threw the blanket back on his bed. He grabbed a scratchy blanket from his closet (the ones your friend would give you when you slept over, but ten times scratchier) and stomped into Mabel's room, grabbing one pink, fluffy pillow before making his way back down the stairs.

Bill was upside down on the couch, looking at the paintings on the wall beside the TV. He went right-side up when he saw Dipper make his way over to him. Dipper tossed both the blanket and pillow to Bill. "There," Dipper snapped, "now sleep."

Bill looked at the grandfather clock, and Dipper glanced at it in curiosity. It was only 8 PM.

Dipper opened his mouth to say that it was too early, and that Bill should probably just play with cards until he felt sleepy, but Bill beat him to it. "Aye aye, captain!" he chirped, giving Dipper a three fingered salute before crashing down on the couch. Bill's eye closed automatically, and his breath evened out.

Dipper rolled his eyes at Bill's antics and pivoted around. He caught sight of his snoozing sister, and automatically felt bad. He completely forgot about her.

He came over and picked up Mabel bridal-style, grunting as he adjusted Mabel on his arms. She was heavy, almost too heavy. He was worried that he might drop her, but he let go of those thoughts and walked slowly up the stairs side-ways to avoid hitting Mabel's legs.

Dipper got to her room and set her down on her bed, pulling up her blanket to her chin and placing a kiss on her forehead. He hoped that Mabel didn't feel that, because this was just much more awkward than an awkward sibling hug. In fact, Dipper always goes to her room in the middle of the night when he didn't feel well just to see if Mabel was alright. As long as she was okay, he was more than fine.

Dipper turned around and walked out of her, closing her lights and the door in the process.

He made his way downstairs, and found Bill sleeping peacefully on the couch, soft snores escaping his lips. Huh, so maybe he wasn't acting.

Dipper tried to move his legs to turn around and come back up the stairs, but he couldn't. He couldn't help but just... _look._

Up this close, without Bill smirking or saying something along the lines of "Pine Tree" to get him on his nerves, Bill actually looked nice to Dipper. Handsome, even. Bill's blond hair was messy, sticking in different directions. His face seemed peaceful when he slept, and Dipper caught himself hoping that he was having sweet dreams. Dipper couldn't help himself when his eyes traveled down to Bill's lips.

If only he could kiss them.

Dipper shook the thoughts out of his head almost immediately, his eyes wide. He thunked his head with a fist, scowling at himself. "Stupid, _stupid_ brain," Dipper hissed. _But you know you want to kiss him,_ his mind whispered. 

Dipper gritted his teeth. _No, I don't,_ he thought.

_Yeah you do. You want to make out with him, take off his shirt, look at his abs, see his-_

_STOP. IT.  
_

Dipper gripped his head with both hands, pulling on his curls that was underneath his hat. Where were those thoughts coming from? And why now? He wasn't...falling for Bill was he?

Dipper let out a strangled frustrated noise and pivoted around, swearing to himself that he wasn't going to look at that maniac again. He was half-way up the stairs when he couldn't help it but glance at Bill one last time before he started binge reading some books.

He swore he saw Bill's lips twitch into a small smile.


	7. Dreams and Toasters

_"Bring your love baby I could bring my shame_  
_Bring the drugs baby I could bring my pain_  
_I got my heart right here_  
_I got my scars right here_  
_Bring the cups baby I could bring the drink_  
_Bring your body baby I could bring you fame_  
_And that's my motherfucking words too_  
_Just let me motherfucking love you."_

**[Wicked Games | The Weeknd](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KCsiuVtlAI) **

* * *

Dipper slept a non-eventful sleep.

Or, at least, mostly.

He had the typical dream of his pants being gone in public, a dream he seemed to never come out of ever since the very real incident in ninth grade.

But today, the dream was a little different.

He was making his way to his math class in his old high school, his backpack swung on one shoulder as he slid his way to his assigned-but-not-assigned seat in the back of the class. Mabel and her friends were gossiping in the front row, and Mabel waved at him when he walked in. Dipper opened his textbook and began reading, but he had a sickening feeling in his gut as he did so. He frowned to himself, and forced himself to keep reading.

Then he realized what was wrong. This was a memory.

As if his dream heard his thoughts, Dipper was suddenly looking up at the board as his math teacher wrote down equations. His math teacher finished up, and looked straight at Dipper. He wasn't there a second ago. 

"Do you mind finishing this problem, Dipper?" his teacher asked with a kind smile.

"O- oh, well, I- I-" Dipper stuttered.

Then he was already up there.

Dipper didn't have time to wonder about the seemingly missing time gap, as he didn't remember getting up here at all, but he was already half way through finishing the problem. His hand flew over the whiteboard, his forehead sticky with sweat. He had a bad feeling about this, even though he didn't exactly why. It was a dream, reality and memories didn't affect him as much here.

He felt a breeze tickle his butt and lower half, and Dipper looked down. His pants were gone, leaving him in Spongebob boxers.

His class started laughing, including Mabel and her friends. Dipper's face heated up, and he covered his lower half on instinct. He tried to get out of the classroom, but the door to the classroom was closed shut. His teacher bellowed at him to finish the equation, clearly not seeing Dipper's distress. This definitely didn't happen in real life. Did it?

"Dipper, Dipper, without a zipper!" his class chanted, pointing at him and his Spongebob boxers.

Dipper put his head down in shame, trying to get his mind working to let him find an exit out of here. But he couldn't think of any plan, because his mind was just short-circuiting. Especially since Bill Cipher was among those high school students Dipper could barely remember.

Dream Bill was pointing at him, laughing with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. No, not eye. Eyes. Dream Bill had no eye patch anymore. Nor did he have a top hat or a vest, like what Real Bill would usually wear. No, this Bill was exactly how Dipper would want Bill to look like. And that just made everything so frustrating.

Before Dipper could open his mouth to even make a sound (not that he was even planning to, his mouth felt dry and glued shut), the scenery changed.

The walls dripped with blood, and the students' voices began to sound garbled and demonic-like. Their pupils became red, and blood poured out of their mouths and ears like waterfalls. The arms that was pointing at Dipper were melting, like wax figures. Their skin bubbled, and a melting piece landed on Dipper's shoe. He screamed childishly, stepping backwards from fright. 

Dipper looked down at his arms to see if he was melting too, but he was perfectly intact. He was breathing heavily, looking around the class for an exit. His ears were ringing from the constant chanting, heart hammering harder and harder in his chest, and the walls were now completely covered in blood by the time he looked back at the students pointing at him.

The students disappeared, leaving Dipper and Mabel behind.

Mabel's eye sockets were now gone, and her forehead bled out with dark, red, mushy blood. Dipper cried out, rushing forward to his sister. He pressed his hands to her shoulders firmly, looking into her eyeless sockets. It sent shivers down his back, but he ignored them. He wanted his sister back. "Mabel!" Dipper screamed, his voice sounding distant and awfully strained. The feeling of stress and panic was becoming more and more suffocating, to the point he felt like he couldn't breathe. Like he couldn't move. 

Mabel smiled wickedly at him, her head slowly tilting to the side. With her neck a little bit exposed, Dipper could now see the three straight lines on her collar bone and neck. They were cut deep, and parallel to each other, gushing out yellow pus. That wasn't supposed to happen to wounds, right?

"Mabel! _Mabel!_ What happened?!" Dipper cried, shaking his sister like it would make her answer him. His sister just kept staring at him with empty sockets. Dipper felt something in the pit of his stomach, like this happened before, but in another, sick, twisted way. This was just a dream, he kept telling himself, a sick and awful dream for being so stupid the day before. 

His twin started to rot in his arms.

He caught her back with a hand, setting her down with the force of it. His heart ached, and his mind was just drawing a blank line. "What do I do, what do I do, what do I _do?_ " he screamed at himself, his hands on top of his head. He couldn't lose her now. Not now, not ever, no no no _no no_ -

With a blink, the scenery changed. He was no longer in his old classroom, but instead, in a forest clearing. Blood pooled beneath his knees, soaking his suddenly appeared jeans. Mabel wasn't with him anymore, but instead, Bill.

Dipper whimpered, putting his head down. He can't look at anyone in the eyes anymore, dream or not. He can't look at his sister anymore without remembering this goddamn dream. He can't look at her without imagining the blood, the eyes, the  _neck-_ and that scared him more than any nightmare ever thrown at him. 

He felt light footsteps coming towards him. Then a shadow covered his small figure. Bill dropped to one knee in front of Dipper, using a hand to grip Dipper's chin and forcing him to look into his eyes. Dream Bill was, once again, wearing normal teenaged clothes, which consisted of a white tee and dirty jeans, like he finished cleaning out a farm or something.

"I tried to cut off the dream as fast as I can, Pine Tree," Bill whispered, his thumb drawing lines on Dipper's chin.

"You can't cut off dreams, Bill. Real Bill or Dream Bill," Dipper scowled, swatting his hand away. He liked the feeling, but he couldn't let whatever version this Bill is see that.

Bill smiled warily at him, and opened his mouth to speak. He clamped it shut and thought better of what he was going to say. "You'll be waking up soon. It's still the middle of the night. I, on the other hand, am going to make you and Shooting Star some breakfast to make you feel better," Bill said with a lopsided grin. Dipper snorted. Dream Bill was weirder than Real Bill.

Dream Bill snapped his fingers, and Dipper's hat appeared back on his head. Bill snapped his fingers once more, and a blue rose appeared on Dipper's breast pocket. Dipper looked down at it, flicking at the rose in mild curiosity. He looked back at Bill, who was looking at him with a softer smile, a softer gaze. Dipper decided that he liked this version of Bill more. 

"Sweet dreams, Pine Tree," Bill said softly, saluting him.

The scenery changed from the forest clearing to the Mystery Shack, where he danced the night away with his friends and family, completely forgetting about the dream before this one.

* * *

"SON OF A BITCH ASS MOTHERFUCKING LOSER WITH A SHRIVELED GOAT DICK FOR A BALD ASS HEAD-"

Dipper woke up with a jolt, rubbing his eyes to get the sleep out of them. There was a lot of crashing and banging, making Dipper wake up faster. He quickly put on his hat and sped down the stairs, tripping over his own feet. It was still dark outside, making it hard to see anywhere. The only light source in the house was coming from the kitchen, where more banging and swears could be heard all the way from China.

Mabel sped down the stairs after him, letting out a war cry as she raised her pink and purple Hello Kitty bat over her head. Dipper watched as she paused her war cry in the kitchen, her face turning flushed to being poker-faced. Then, after a couple of quiet seconds, she snorted. Then she began to laugh, dropping her baseball bat to the ground. Mabel had to put a hand over the door frame to keep her balance as she kept on laughing, her eyes glossy with tears from laughing so hard.

Dipper arranged his hat on his head and ran down the stairs, looking to see what made his sister laugh so hard. "What's going o-?" he began. He stopped beside his sister, seeing Bill glaring at the toaster with a fork stuck on his face and arm and a butter knife on one hand. Even an idiot could see what caused Bill to scream so loud. The poor guy was glaring at the toaster in a way that reminded Dipper of how a cat would glare at a dog- eyes wide, posture stiff and frozen, and teeth bared. 

Dipper laughed along with his sister, dropping to the ground with a hand on his stomach.

"It's not funny!" Bill growled, dusting off his apron with a scowl. He looked at the twins with an unamused look.

"It- it is to us!" Mabel squeezed out between laughs. Bill still hasn't noticed the fork stuck on his face as he turned to look at the toaster with a snarl. That just made Dipper laugh louder, falling on his back from the amount of laughing he was doing.

"It looks like your face caught on fire and someone tried to put it out with a fork!" Mabel commented loudly, pounding on the door frame in laughter.

Bill frowned at her statement, and felt around his body on instinct. He felt the forks, and pulled them out with not so much as a raised eyebrow. Blood clotted in the spots Bill pulled the fork out of, but that was the only injury left behind.

Dipper got up slowly, helping Mabel up when she kept falling back on her butt with a laugh. "What the hell are you even _doing?_ " Dipper asked finally, looking around the kitchen. Two plates were out on the table, with two burnt eggs on each and a glass of orange juice. On the stove, bacon was still sizzling, though it was completely black. The only decent looking food that was out was the toast, which just popped up a couple minutes ago with a brown and golden colour.

"Making the two of you breakfast, of course!" Bill sang.

Mabel slowly took a seat on the table, motioning for Dipper to the same. "Don't be rude, Dipper!" she scolded. Dipper rolled his eyes and took a seat next to his sister, picking up the fork next to the plate gingerly. He yawned and took a sip of the orange juice. At least the juice wasn't poisoned. He was too tired to yell at Bill right now too. He prodded the burnt egg with his fork, and it crumbled apart at his slight touch. 

Dipper grimaced. "So, uh, why are you making breakfast at-" Dipper glanced at the clock in the kitchen and squinted, "-two in the morning?"

Mabel frowned at the small glass of chloroform out on the counter. "And why do you have chloroform for?" Mabel asked, taking a sip of her orange juice.

"To make breakfast, of course!"

Mabel did a spit take, spreading orange juice all over the table. Dipper's fork dropped. "Bre- WHAT?!" both of the twins shouted, both wearing looks of horror.

Bill snorted, picking up the burnt bacon on a plate with tongs. "I was answering Pine Tree's question first. Your Great Uncle Ford wanted to know if you guys still had some," Bill answered.

"You- you spoke with our Grunkle Ford?" Dipper squeaked, his voice an octave higher. Mabel's back was rigid, and she was awfully quiet.

"Were you even listening?" Bill grumbled with a sigh, "yes, I did. He asked who this was, and I said your guys' roommate. He was surprised at first, but he just ended up asking about the chloroform." 

Mabel let out a loosened sigh. Dipper gave her a questioning look, but she just shrugged at him. "Wait, how did you even know how to work a phone?" Dipper asked suspiciously.

"Your Grunkle Ford taught me how the whole way. He was a little...weirded out at first and even asked me how old I was. I just told him I was German and he got it," Bill hummed. He passed down the plate of burnt bacon, but neither Dipper or Mabel reached out to get some. Dipper looked at his arm, and saw that the blood was gone, only leaving four punctured holes in his arm and face.

"Um, Bill, don't you think it's a little too early to be having breakfast right now?" Dipper questioned, looking down at his plate with a slackened jaw. Bill clicked his tongue, pouring a glass of orange juice for himself. He sat down next to Dipper, taking a sip. He retched, making a face at his glass.

"Red wine is infinitely better than this," Bill commented, completely ignoring Dipper's question.

"No kidding," Mabel answered sarcastically.

"Bill," Dipper said slowly, "how much sleep did you get last night?"

Bill thought for a while, swallowing his orange juice with a grimace. "Two hours and three minutes," Bill answered, like he was telling them about the weather. Mabel and Dipper shared a look.

"Dude, you might want to shoot for six hours," Dipper told him.

"Aw, is Pine Tree worried about me? I'm flattered!" Bill gushed.

A flush crept up Dipper's face. "I just don't want you falling asleep while you work, Bill," Dipper answered dryly. Bill raised an eyebrow at Dipper, taking another sip while maintaining eye contact. Finally, _finally,_ Dipper realized something was different about him. He was no longer wearing an eye patch or even his iconic top hat. His cane he brought around was nowhere to be seen. Not only that, but Bill was wearing _normal_ clothing, which was a white tee and pajama pants.

"There's no work today, Pine Tree. Or are you so forgetful that you forgot about that?" Bill asked him.

Mabel gasped. She must've woken up enough to see that Bill was different too. "Bill! Your eye patch! You didn't need it?" Mabel asked, incredulous.

"Shooting Star, you guys don't need clothes to dance or to go anywhere for that matter-" Bill hummed, making Dipper feel extremely uncomfortably, "-but it's a choice. Same with me and my eye patch. One eye is better than two." To prove his point, Bill poked at his actual left eyeball, and Dipper tried not to cringe away when Bill blinked, the eye now slightly pink. But Bill didn't acknowledge the pain in any way, instead grinning at the twins merrily. 

"Then...why did you take it off?" Dipper asked curiously. He could've sworn that Bill's gaze lingered on him a little longer than he should.

"Just had a dream. Made me realize that I probably should stop wearing an eye patch," Bill chuckled. Dipper suddenly remembered what Dream Bill said to him before he began having normal dreams -"I, on the other hand, am going to make you and Shooting Star some breakfast to make you feel better."- and nearly shivered. This was just a coincidence, right? But hey, astral projection could be possible, but-

"Yo Bro-Bro, are you alright?" Mabel asked him, waving a hand in front of her brother. Dipper came out of his trance, giving Mabel a smile of apology.

"Sorry, I was just thinking," he apologized. Bill was awfully quiet, watching the twins with his lips pulled in a thin line.

"About what?" Mabel asked once more.

"Oh um- just...what to do in college, I guess."

Mabel gave him a proud smile, patting Dipper on the back. "Atta boy!" she whooped. Bill watched the twins quietly, and it was kind of giving Dipper the chills.

"So uh, Bill," Dipper began, "what do you do for a living?"

Bill gave him a somewhat faked smile. "Considering how I have no idea what the hell 'math' is and I'm currently living under your guys' roof because I don't know how to manage a house, what do you think?" Bill asked, his voice clipped and irritated. Dipper almost winced at how being inconsiderable he was. All he wanted to do was change the subject. Maybe this is why he hasn't dated anyone in over three years.

"Sorry," Dipper apologized, "do you have any uh, hobbies then?"

"Turning people's lower halves to stone," Bill began boredly, "preferably men."

Dipper choked midway of eating his burnt eggs, and Mabel began having a giggling fit. "So you're uh, gay?" Dipper asked, hating how much he was stumbling on his words. Bill raised an eyebrow in question at Dipper.

"I'm surprised you haven't figured that out yet, Pine Tree," he spoke boredly. Then he thought for a while. "Though, there's like two billion different kinds of sexualities -from where I'm from, of course- so I don't think you can consider me that but if that's what you wish, then yes."

Dipper could feel Mabel burning holes on the side of his head, but he did his best to ignore it. He could hear her chanting _ship, ship, ship_ even though she wasn't saying it out loud. He had no idea what ships had to do with anything, but any time Mabel found a cute couple, she'd always gasp and start talking about it. It confused Dipper, and he gave up trying to figure out what that meant.

Dipper was having a hard time swallowing his eggs, both from how burnt it was, and from Bill's statement. He was a little confused with how he felt about that. He was happy, because that meant he _might_ have a chance with Bill, but at the same time, he was angry at himself for acting so surprised at Bill's statement. He knew first hand how annoying it gets when people ask that question over and over again. Yes, he was gay, he kept telling them. No, he never had feelings for girls and only _thought_ he liked Wendy because of how tomboyish she was. Yes, his family accepted it, more than accepted it, in fact (Mabel had this crazy idea of throwing him a party). It was tiring to answer every single time.

"Look Bill, thanks for making breakfast, but I really got to go to sleep right now," Dipper excused himself, chugging down his orange juice before the aftertaste of the eggs could pass through him.

"You're no fun, Pine Tree!" Bill groaned. Mabel waved goodbye to him, her smile looking strained as she glanced at Bill.

"Just come back down when you feel like it," Mabel sang. Dipper fist-bumped with her, then walked out of the kitchen.

He walked back upstairs to his room and yawned, stretching his back. He looked around his room, and decided while he was awake, he should probably get some work done.

Dipper plopped down onto his desk chair and bent over his diagrams. He was making a map of Gravity Falls, and not just the exterior of it for the tourists, but of all the secret places in it. He put on his reading glasses he inherited and looked closely at his map. It was halfway finished, but this was only a rough draft. He was going to explore Gravity Falls this summer a little bit more closely than usual, just to see if he missed some places. He wrote down everything his Grunkle Ford told him about, but even his Grunkle admitted that he probably missed more than a couple places.

Dipper frowned at the journal his Grunkle gave him back, a replica of the original he lost. Though he didn't remember exactly how Great Uncle Ford lost his original journals, nor did he remember getting them from his Great Uncle, he certainly knew that he had these books for a very long time. These journals were like his guide through Gravity Falls.

The back pages were completely blank, and Dipper's frowned deepened. He always thought the back pages were empty because his Grunkle probably had enough to write in it. But then he suddenly realized that Ford had three journals, all filled to the very back. Why would this journal's back pages be empty?

Dipper grabbed his UV light and flashed it on the book. Nothing.

He made an impatient noise behind his throat and closed the journal. He stared back at his diagram, thinking about where he should explore first. The waterfalls? Nah. The forest? Looked through there like five times already. The old Northwest Mansion that McGucket owns? McGucket probably wouldn't want to be disturbed right now.

Dipper sighed, pushing his diagram to the side and took out his notebook. He grabbed a pen and clicked it once, twice, three times in annoyance. He felt incredibly bored right now, but at the same time, he felt productive, despite it being two in the morning. Thanks to that breakfast Bill made, the bitter taste in his mouth kept him awake.

He pushed the desk away from him and got up, deciding that a walk around the town might give him ideas. He put on a grey sweatshirt and stuffed on some socks, quietly making his way down the stairs. He found his shoes near the door and sat down on the stairs, untying one shoe and putting it on.

"-didn't mean to, Shooting Star!"

Dipper froze where he was, just about half way of pulling on his shoes. "Didn't mean to?" Mabel hissed, "you're a freaking _dream_   _demon_ , of course you meant it!"

He didn't know how he felt about his sister calling Bill a demon. He put on his other shoe, and quietly stood up so he didn't disturb the arguing weirdos.

"Look, you don't know what you're talking about-" Bill said quietly.

"Do you honestly think it's _funny_   to force his mind to remember things from-" Mabel seethed.

"Shooting Star, calm down. I didn't do anything. In fact, I was the one trying to get it _out_!" Bill interrupted. Dipper's eyes flashed with memories of his dreams. Mabel's dead body, Mabel's eyeless sockets, Mabel's scars-

He took a shuddering breath. He decided that he probably shouldn't eavesdrop, and opened the door. He stepped outside, and was about to close the door when he barely heard Mabel say something that made his blood run cold.

"Those memories were erased for a _reason_ , Bill. I can't stand to have him remember that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's fanart from my friend for this fanfic, particularly for this chapter, OMFG ＼(☆o◎)／ LET'S CELEBRATE THE OFFICIAL FIRST FANART OF THE LEGACY OF A BROKEN HEART HHHHHHH I'M ACTUALLY SO HAPPY.
> 
> [T'is here on my crappy side blog. ](http://pandagodsblog.tumblr.com/post/144710782881/thebluedj-mabel-mabel-what-happened)


	8. A Drunk Bill Is a Weird Bill

_"We'll meet again,  
_ _Don't know where,  
_ _Don't know when  
_ _But I know we'll meet again some sunny day  
_ _Keep smiling through,  
_ _Just like you always do  
_ _Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away."_

**[We'll Meet Again | Vera Lynn](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJKMji2688M) **

* * *

 Dipper scratched out another note and scribbled in another one, grumbling to himself.

It was currently seven in the afternoon, and the sun was just about to set. He got a few winks here and there when he arrived here when he set out at two in the morning, but otherwise, Dipper barely got any sleep since. He was in the forest, leaning against a large log as he wrote down in his composition book like his life depended on it. Well, maybe it did. He still needed to figure that out.

His sister's voice drifted through his head, no matter how hard he tried to get it out. _Those memories were erased for a_ reason _, Bill._

He shuddered, and kept writing. It was a little cold out (which could explain his half-frozen fingers), but he could manage. What he couldn't manage, on the other hand, was what his sister meant. He knew that Mabel meant well ("I can't stand to have him remember that.") but he couldn't just shake off the feeling. There was a whole bunch of possibilities to what his sister meant. Seven hundred forty two possibilities so far, actually. But Dipper couldn't figure out which one.

Did something happen to him before? Did _she_ erase those memories? What, exactly, happened in the summer Dipper first came to Gravity Falls?

Dipper rubbed the back of his hand on his forehead, where he felt the bumps that connected his Big Dipper birthmark. He frowned to himself, leaning his head against the log and setting the pen down on his lap. He had to talk to his sister about this, but he didn't know how to bring it up without Mabel freaking out and changing the subject. He didn't want Bill to be a part of this either, even though Mabel and Bill were clearly discussing about his memories.

That made his frown deepen. How come Mabel told Bill? They just _met_ a few days ago!

Dipper took a deep breath, exhaled, then took another. He felt kind of...lost. And alone.

He thought of the consequences over his head for talking to Mabel about it over and over again his mind. The worst thing that could happen was that Mabel would probably scold him and change the subject. The best thing that could happen was that she would sigh heavily, sit down, and tell him what happened. 

Dipper groaned to himself, closing his composition book and using the pen as a book mark. He stuffed it under one arm and got up, struggling to his feet. He walked out of the forest silently, watching as a deer darted away at the sound of his footsteps. Chewing on his bottom lip, Dipper walked back to the Mystery Shack, turning his phone back on for the first time in the last ten hours. He cringed at how many texts Mabel sent him, and cringed even more when he saw that one of the texts consisted of Mabel threatening him that she would make Waddles eat the last of his clean clothes.

The trek back to the Mystery Shack wasn't as far away as he'd imagined, but his back still ached as he opened the front door. Since the Shack was closed, no one was wandering around and looking for scams around the shop with awed looks. In fact, the only person who was currently in the Mystery Shack was Bill, who was wiping off the counters while he hummed a tune to himself.

"You know, Disco Girl might replace rising Shepard tones as my favorite song," Bill chirped, barely glancing over his shoulder when Dipper came in.

Dipper snorted, looking the door behind him. He went upstairs without another word to Bill, placing his composition book in the locked drawer he kept in his desk. Dipper switched out of his muddy red flannel into a new, blue one that Mabel recently bought him from the mall. It went with his hat, and Dipper had to smile at himself at that. Mabel clearly knew his style better than he ever would. 

Dipper made his way back down the stairs, cracking his knuckles as he did so out of habit. He saw Bill still cleaning the countertops, his eyes glued to the counter like he was watching to see if a dust speck dared to land itself on it. "You don't have to clean it right now, Bill. It's good enough for tomorrow," Dipper announced, making his way to the jointed living room to watch some TV.

"I promised you guys that I'd work here. And work I will do," Bill answered proudly, puffing out his chest. Dipper let out a huff of laughter, taking the TV remote from the coffee table and powering up the old television. The sofa creaked underneath his weight as he pretty much jumped on it tiredly. 

"Anyway," Dipper began, getting comfortable on the sofa, "where's Mabel?"

"Oh, Shooting Star? She went out drinking with Miss Direction. Though I have no idea why she would go through all that trouble to drink. I mean, we have water in the fridge!"

"SHE- _WHAT_?!"

The remote flew out of his hands when he abruptly got up from his comfortable position. Dipper's jaw slackened, and Bill gave him an irritated look.

"I just said, Shooting Star went out-" Bill began slowly.

"I know what you said," Dipper snapped, "do you know what bar she went to?"

"Conchobar?" Bill asked with a frown. "Conchobar is a cool kid, but he tried to take my gold once."

"Forget it," Dipper growled, throwing up his hands in the air.

He grabbed his car keys and the house key. He was almost half way out of the door when he heard Bill shout in a panic, "Wait, Pine Tree!"

"What now?" Dipper asked, suspicious. He saw Bill run towards him with one arm in his yellow sweater and the other arm mercilessly being stuffed into the other sleeve. He finally got it on, and stood in front of Dipper with a victorious smirk. Wait, hasn't Dipper seen that smirk before? When Bill fell asleep on the couch and Dipper-?

"I'm coming with you, Pine Tree," Bill breathed. Dipper gave him a stern look.

"Seriously? Dude, you have to stay here and watch over the Mystery Sh-" he began.

"This old Shack is enchanted with unicorn magic, kid. Nothing can hurt it," Bill said dismissively. Dipper was a little impressed that he knew about the unicorn magic. But whatever. Mabel could have told him.  

"I'm just looking for my sister, Bill. Just-" Dipper began with an irritated sigh.

"Then I'll help you look for her. Shooting Star is a friend of mine too, Pine Tree, not just yours," Bill said, his voice unnaturally irritated and slightly angry. Like he was being scolded for something he clearly didn't do. 

Dipper stared at him with an icy look, before giving in after Bill simply stared back with a blanker look. "Fine," he grumbled, opening the door a little bit wider and stepping back to let Bill pass through, "just please don't leave where I can't see you."

Bill smirked at him, and was about to tease him, before thinking better of it. He walked pass Dipper with his head held high like he was some sort of king, making his way to Dipper's old red Dodge Ram. The moment Bill saw the car, the blond made a disgusted noise behind the back of his throat, his nose wrinkled by the sight in front of him. "The hell is that _thing_?" he asked in disgust.

"Deal with it," Dipper answered breezily, hopping into the driver's seat and putting on his seat belt.

Bill did the same, hopping into the passenger seat like a giddy twelve year old finally old enough to ride shotgun. Almost immediately, Bill found the seat lever and made his chair sink all the way down, his feet coming up to the dashboard with a smug look on his face. Dipper rolled his eyes.

"You can't do that," Dipper reminded him.

"Aw, why not?" Bill whined, but nonetheless made his seat go back into line with Dipper's after pulling on the lever a few times out of frustration. Dipper smacked his shins, forcing them back down to the carpet without a glance. Bill made an irritated noise behind the back of his throat. Was this guy a whiny animal or a person?

"It's against the road rules," Dipper answered boredly, reversing his car out of the clearing.

On the way to the nearest bar, Bill was making 'vrooming' noises and sound effects. He screeched any time Dipper stopped the car, copying the sound of the car's squeaky stop. It got on Dipper's nerves, and he even tried to put on the radio to drown out Bill's sound effects. It didn't work, as Bill's sound effects got louder every time Dipper turned up the radio's volume. Apparently, after much yelling and arguments, Dipper soon found out that Bill wanted to be a sound effect box after watching Jurassic Park with Mabel and the brunette encouraged him to make the dinosaur noises with her. There were times Dipper was glad to have a twin, and times like this made him not so gleeful. Bill was a four year old and no one could make him think otherwise. 

Dipper almost sighed in relief when they arrived to the old bar, parking the truck near the front of the bar and immediately killing the engine so he didn't have to endure another second of Bill's vrooming. Bill, realizing that the loud purring had stopped, groaned in disappointment, and Dipper almost wanted to hit him over the head. He changed his mind, because he knew he would get it back, and he really didn't feel like being hit right now.

Bill followed Dipper out of the car like an obedient puppy, looking over Dipper's shoulder once in a while with the strangest look on his face. Dipper's fists clenched by his side, and he walked a little faster to try and get Bill away. Like before, it didn't work. The good thing was, Dipper arrived at the bar's entrance in less time than he imagined.

"ID?" one of the buff, deep-voiced bouncers asked.

Dipper fished out his driver's license, confirming his age, and the bouncer gave it back without a single blink. The second tough guy turned to look at Bill with raised eyebrows. "ID?" he asked again. Bill shrugged.

Dipper took a deep breath and exhaled, looking at the two body-guards pleadingly. "He's old enough, trust me. He just forgot his ID at home and-" he began.

"No ID, no entrance. Of all people, you should know this, Dipper," the skinnier one answered. He could feel Bill stare at the back of his head in curiosity, but he chose to completely ignored it.

"Can't you just let him in for just-" Dipper begged. He didn't even know why he was putting up a fight. Didn't he  _want_ Bill gone?

"I got this, Pine Tree. Just go find Shooting Star for us," Bill told him, nodding his head the entrance of the bar. The blond wore a shit-eating grin on his face. 

Dipper gritted his teeth together, contemplating his decisions. He decided that Bill would probably be okay with being left here for a while (it wasn't as cold anymore, surprisingly), and nodded at Bill almost stiffly. Bill flashed him the thumbs up as he turned, the twinkle in the man's eyes almost promising something like murder. Dipper didn't say anything else to Bill as he brushed past the two men, opening the creaky bar doors. He entered the bar almost dramatically, almost cringing at the loudness that followed if he wasn't so used to it. Thumping, ear-crushing music was more of Mabel's taste. 

His eyes flitted back and forth in the bar with a predator's gaze. Where would a Mabel Pines decide to be at?

He grunted to himself, taking a wild guess. He chose his left, and entered the source of the music. People danced and grinded against each other, and the dance floor smelled strongly of alcohol and sweat. He remembered the first time he came here, and shuddered. Maybe he should've just let Mabel stay here instead of facing this place ever again, but what kind of brother would he be if he did that? Mabel sure as hell would come looking for him if she ever found out he went out again.

Dipper pushed through the sweaty bodies of people, looking around for his sister. There was only two bars here in Gravity Falls, so if she wasn't in this one, no sweat. But it would just be so much easier if she was.

Dipper let out a frustrated groan and pivoted around, turning away from the dance floor. He elbowed a girl's drink, and shouted out an apology before squeezing his way out of there. The smell of alcohol in the air was almost suffocating. "Mabel! Mabel!" he called out over the loud music, looking around the lobby wildly for any sign of a neon colored skirt that pegged down Mabel. 

Not here.

Dipper took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down to process where else he could find his sister. Instead of walking forward to another lobby, he stepped backward to turn right back around. Something caught on the back of his ankle and he suddenly went crashing down. He yelped in surprise, his arms windmilling to keep him upright before he could thump against the vodka stained carpet.

Warm hands latched onto his waist in an instant, and Bill stared down at him with an amused, lazy grin. 

"Told you I would get in, Pine Tree," he drawled.

Dipper pushed Bill away with a scowl. "I'm not even going to ask how," Dipper mumbled. "We need to split up and find my sister," he said again. Bill saluted him.

"I'll check the long table there that has a bunch of sobbing teens," he volunteered.

"No, Bill, I don't think that's such a good-"

Then he was gone.

Dipper shook his head, turning his eyes around his surroundings. There was no way in hell he was going to get Bill back anytime soon. He found a small bathroom hidden near the entrance and scowled. There was only one bathroom here that no one saw before except him and Mabel. Currently, the door was closed.

He stalked over to the door and knocked twice, waiting for an answer.

"Uh, one sec!" a cheery, slurred voice called out. Mabel.

Dipper's shoulders slumped, and he leaned against the wall with an awkward casualness, but a deer's suspiciousness. Mabel opened the door with a wacky grin splattered on her face. Though it was only seven PM, Mabel looked like a mess. Her skirt was rumpled, her hair was sticking in eight different directions, and there was a hickey proudly presented on the base of her neck. Dipper cringed, his hands tightening around his biceps when he crossed his arms.

"Bro-Bro!" she squealed, flinging herself at Dipper.

Dipper caught her, and briefly hugged back before prying her off of him. "Mabel, what the hell! The Mystery Shack is opening tomorrow, and you go out _drinking?_ Do you know how absolutely _reckless_ that is?!" Dipper shouted angrily at her. Mabel's smile faded a bit, and Dipper instantly felt guilty. "Sorry, I- I got so worried when I couldn't find you and-" he began.

Mabel put a finger on his lips and shushed him. "Bro, you were the one who went out for over ten hours, leaving me and Bill to bond the _whole damn day_ ," she hissed. Then she thought for a while. "It wasn't that bad, but you get what I meant," she said again with a thoughtful look. Dipper batted her hand away, scowling at his twin.

"I- I needed to check on something," he lied. Or, half lied at least.

"Mhm," she hummed, moving past Dipper with tipsy steps. Dipper turned around and walked with Mabel. She was walking like a newborn deer. Mabel had an enormous capacity for alcohol, so her being this drunk meant she drank twice the amount she usually did. Stan was going to kill him if he found out.

"You're drunk," he said, more of a statement than a question.

"Mhm," she hummed once more, latching onto Dipper's arm for support. "Hey, you know what you should say to Bill when he wears those nice vests again?" Mabel giggled.

"What?" Dipper asked with a sigh, not up for playing her games. She took a deep breath.

"DAAAAAMN, CIPHEEEEER."

Dipper tried to cover her mouth as fast as he could, but Mabel got her sentence out with a burst of laughter. "It's so obvious you like him, Bro," she teased. She hiccuped, giggling again and slapping his bicep like he was going to joke with her like drinking buddies. Instead, his face flushed in embarrassment, ears tingling. He pursed his lips, looking away from Mabel. 

"Is it that obvious?" he asked quietly.

Mabel thought for a while. "Not to him, probably. Just to me. I'm your-" she hiccuped, "-twin, after all!"

They walked to the bar, one hand around each other for support. Dipper still had to look for Bill here, and Mabel didn't seem to care where he was taking her. "I once hugged someone too hard, and they spilled juice all over me," Mabel suddenly said. Dipper gave her a questioning look.

"You mean you strangled them," he corrected.

"NO!" she shouted, and Dipper was thankful that it was mostly drunk bastards here so they didn't give them weirded out looks. "You don't have evidence!" she giggled.

Dipper had to hold onto her arms when she stumbled to the stool. She giggled when a cute boy passed, and Dipper suddenly remembered something. "Where's Pacifica?" he asked, looking around as if to expect the blonde girl to jump up from behind a bush, scolding Mabel for being reckless when all she did was go out for two minutes to talk to an old colleague. 

"She went home," Mabel said dismissively. 

"WHAT?! S- she was supposed to-" Dipper stuttered, his grip tightening when Mabel almost fell to the ground.

"We had a fight. I told her I could get home by myself without her when she hesitated to go and she left without saying goodbye," Mabel said again, her words slurred and slowed.

Dipper gave Mabel an incredulous look. "Why the hell would you say _that_?" he asked in disbelief. His sister might be reckless at times, but never _this_ reckless! How many drinks did she even have to become this drunk?

Mabel suddenly became quiet. Dipper set her down on a stool to let her regain her strength. His face fell when he saw the tears streaking down her face. He looked around and pulled out some napkins from the dispenser. He wiped her tears away, crouching down to her level to get a better look at her face. Did he say something wrong? Jeez, he was terrible at these kinds of things.

"Y- you just left," Mabel said quietly.

"I left to have some alone time. This isn't the first time, remember?" Dipper answered, wiping another tear away with the napkin. She started to quietly sob, and Dipper inhaled sharply. Drunk Mabel was definitely not his forte.

"You weren't responding to my texts either," she sniffled.

Dipper sighed. "Mabel, I'm sorry, I just-"

"I thought you were dead," she suddenly said. Bluntly. 

Dipper frowned. "Mabel, I-"

"No, don't you _dare,_ " Mabel snarled. She batted Dipper's hand away when he reached over to wipe another tear. She sniffled. "You- you can't just run away like that, Dipper! Especially with- with- _him_ around," she told him. He frowned deeper at her words.

"You mean...Bill?" What the hell did Bill have to do with this?

"Yes, I mean him!" Mabel cried, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Dipper, Bill is a dangerous person. I told you countless times not to fall for him, and you did. What can a twin do in these situations, Dip? So, please, just _try_ and be careful around him. He's-"

The music suddenly halted to a stop, and the people on the dance floor in the other room shouted and complained. Dipper and Mabel looked at each other.

"Sorry, sorry! Someone must have hit one of the cords and stopped the music. Sorry guys, this might take a few minutes-" the DJ told them, flustered.

Dipper got up, and with an impatient noise, helped Mabel up to see what was going on. People booed at the DJ as he tried to frantically get more music going, but nothing was happening. They screamed at him, and some even went as far as going out of the club in frustration. "Uh- w- well, I got one mic going. Does- does anyone here want to sing?" the DJ asked, practically begging. He held up a mic and looked around, but no one got up to take it.

"I can."

Dipper and Mabel's heads whipped around so fast that they might have gotten whiplash. People parted for a smirking Bill like the Red Sea, looking at him with curiosity. Some of them muttered under their breaths. "Get 'We'll Meet Again' working, Earmuffs Dude," Bill said with a smirk. The DJ put a hand on his headphones and scowled, clicking through his laptop.

He found the file, and handed the mic over to Bill, who took it with a curious look.

Dipper and Mabel looked at each other. "I bet he'd be such a good singer," Mabel gushed.

"I bet he'd sound like a voice-cracking twelve year old," Dipper snorted.

Mabel elbowed him hard. "Ow! Quit it, Ma-!" he began with a hiss.

_"We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when_ ," Bill sang, sitting down next to the DJ on his stool. His voice was a little different from his normal, annoying squeak of a voice. It sounded velvety, and actually...nice.

Dipper's mouth hung open, and Mabel squealed like her favorite band was on stage, shaking his arm.

 _"But I know we'll meet again some sunny day. K_ _eep smiling through, j_ _ust like you always do. 'Til_ _the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away-_ Imma be honest, I kinda like the existence of this place, but whatever!" Bill added the last part with a chuckle, making everyone around him laugh, including Mabel. Dipper quirked an eyebrow. 

 _"So will you please say hello to the folks that I know. Tell them I won't be long-_ we'll be very long! _T_ _hey'll be happy to know, t_ _hat as you saw me go, I_ _was singing this song_ -" Bill glanced up at Dipper and Mabel, and smirked. Dipper finally realized that he seemed a little bit not like himself. He was drunk. Is  _anyone_ in the bar here sober?

 _"We'll meet again, d_ _on't know where, d_ _on't know when, b_ _ut I know we'll meet again some sunny day_ ," Bill stood up from his seat, the mic clutched close to his face as he slid around the front of the dance floor and winked at a few girls, who sighed dreamily. Dipper scowled, and crossed his arms.

 _"We'll meet again_  - c'mon guys, sing it!" Bill shouted. Everyone looked at each other, but obliged, their voices carrying on with Bill's.

 _"Don't know where, don't know when, but I know we'll meet again some sunny day_ \- and when we do meet again, I'll rip out your eyeballs hahahahaha!" Bill laughed, causing people to laugh with him. Dipper cringed. He looked over to his sister, and she was laughing too. Dipper shook his head, keeping his eyes on Bill. Bill had really weird humor. And that was saying a lot, considering how weird his family was. 

 

 

 

 

_"Keep smiling through, just like you always do, 'til the blue skies drive the dark clouds, far away_ \- you're doing great everybody! C'mon, keep it up!" Bill commented, pleased. He smiled warmly at the girls in the front, and Dipper's stomach lurched. He wasn't...jealous, was he?

" _So will you please say hello, to the folks that I know, t_ _ell them it won't be long-_ hear that, Fordsy? Ha ha, _"_ Bill laughed. Mabel sang with him _,_ too into the song or drunk to hear the last part. Dipper looked up at Bill in surprise. Since when did Bill know his Great Uncle Ford? Or was it a different Ford? What the hell was going  _on_ here?

_"They'll be happy to know, t_ _hat as you saw me go, I_ _was singin' this song. W_ _e'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when. But I know we'll meet again some sunny day!_ HahahahahahahaHAHAHA! Oh man," Bill laughed, resting his hands on his knees to catch his breath. Everyone was quiet, and Dipper hoped that they saw how crazy Bill was. But instead, they started to laugh and clapped, some people whistling at Bill.

Bill smirked, bowing. He kept on bowing, and some people threw flowers at him. Where the hell did they even _get_ flowers?

Dipper's lips pulled back in a scowl, and he uncrossed his arms and pushed through the sweaty, clapping people. He elbowed some of them, but he couldn't care less at the moment.

He caught up to Bill, who was laughing with a few girls. The girls batted their eyelashes dreamily at him, sighing and looking flirty. Bill, oblivious or not, chatted among these ladies, eyes bright and happy- happier than they ever were with Dipper. Then he took one of the girls' hand, kissing the knuckle and letting the girls giggle as their friend blushed and stammered. Bill smirked, kissing her cheek and laughing, knowing all too well on the effect he had on them. 

A sudden burst of anger shuddered through Dipper's body, tinting his vision red as he clenched his hands to keep them from shaking. He didn't know exactly  _why_ he was acting like Bill was making out with one of them in front of him, but he just- you know. And even if Bill were to be with one of the girls, he shouldn't care. Bill was just a friend, and his love life didn't have to involve Dipper. In fact, wasn't it him, Dipper Pines, who made it clear to the blond that he was disinterested?

So why did seeing Bill flirt with someone else seem so _wrong?_

He blinked, scowling at himself for acting so stupid in the moment. He stepped forward, grabbing Bill's arm tightly and stopped him from walking away with the girls to a private room- or at least that's what he thought. This just fueled Dipper's frustration. His nails dug into Bill's elbow as Bill turned around, eyebrows shot up in surprise as he was faced with an angry looking Dipper.

"We're going home," he snarled.

* * *

Dipper looked through his pockets for the key, and almost had a panic attack before he found it in his breast pocket. Bill and Mabel were supporting each other behind him, laughing and giggling about the night. Dipper looked at his wristwatch, and wasn't surprised to see that it was eleven PM. Though they got there at seven, it took them four hours to cool down, get in the car, and come to the front door without collapsing.

He heaved a big sigh when he finally opened the door, and opened it to the fullest length. He let Bill and Mabel through first, because he wanted to watch if they would collapse. Thankfully, they passed Dipper without so much as a stumble, and got into the Shack with giggling fits of laughter.

"And- and then I said, 'why did the guitar teacher get arrested?' do- do you know, what I said, Bill Bop?" Mabel asked in between laughter. Dipper's shoulders tensed up. Bill Bop? What happened to Dip Dop?

"Wh- what?" Bill questioned with a snort of laughter.

"For fingering a minor!"

That made the both of them howl with laughter, one arm slung around each other like they were drinking buddies. In a way, they now were. Dipper couldn't take it anymore, and blurted, "What the hell are you guys talking about?"

Mabel and Bill stopped laughing, turning to look at Dipper with horrified looks. Then they looked at each other, and they both whispered, "He's too pure."

Dipper shook his head. "Alright, alright," he snapped, "both of you, go to bed."

"Aye aye, Captain!" Bill and Mabel said at the same time, saluting him. Then Mabel stepped backwards, and fell right onto the couch. She was out in seconds, snoring away like never before. Dipper never got how her energy can go from one hundred to zero in a matter of seconds.

Bill groaned. "Where am I going to sleep now?" he whined. The couch was his only bed, after all. 

"Mabel's room," Dipper said boredly, pivoting on one heel and turning away.

"Whoa, hold on a second there, Pine Tree!"

He felt a firm, warm hand grip his wrist, and he had no choice but to glare straight at Bill. "What _now_ , Cipher?" he snapped. Bill raised his eyebrows at him in question.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked, his voice legitimately concerned. Dipper felt a little bad for snapping like that, but he decided to not let Bill see. The last thing he needed was for Bill to know why he was being so pissy. But he couldn't help it when Bill stared at him, waiting for his answer while his own eyes reflected Dipper's angry face. 

"You go looking for my sister with me, and then you go drinking -hell, where did you even get the money?- start _singing_ in front of the entire bar, and then you fucking _flirt_ with literally everyone you saw!" Dipper said, his voice raising ever so slightly.

Dipper expected Bill to smirk at him and make a witty comment on how jealous he was, but instead, Bill frowned.

"Dipper, look- I'm sorry, I didn't know you-"

Dipper shook Bill's hand off of him, and marched upstairs to his room. Bill calling him by his first name for the first time didn't even comprehend in his brain. 

He changed into comfortable PJ's and socks (he was cold), and flopped onto his bed with a groan. Today was tiring as ever, and he barely got the sleep he deserved. Dipper didn't want to deal with Bill right now, or tomorrow, because all he wanted to do at the moment was sleep, sleep, sleep, and sleep a little more. His eyes flitted closed, and he put an arm over his eyes.

Not even a moment later, the bed creaked under a new weight, and the bed sheets ruffled in disturbance.

Dipper was too tired to see who it was, and ignored it. It was probably Mabel, bothering him to get her some water or something. As long as he pretended to sleep, he would be fine, he told himself.

A kiss planted itself on his forehead, and warmth blossomed through his face. The pair of lips were unfamiliar. Bill.

"You know that I'm only yours, right, Pine Tree?" Bill mumbled into his hair.

Dipper didn't reply, and the bed was free of weight. No one made a sound, and Dipper was brave enough to peek through his arm to see if he was gone. Bill's back was faced to him, and he kept a generous inch or two apart. Bill's back heaved up and down in a quiet pattern.

Dipper smiled to himself, and went to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ze ship is sailing and Mabel knows it.


	9. Wet Dreams and Ice Cream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> theRE'S SMUT IN THE BEGINNING, JUST SAYIN', IN CASE YOU'RE UH, NOT INTO THAT. But I think you all knew that from the title. And hey, we're all sinners here- plus it's not that long, pinky promise. (But I bet a lot of you actually wanted it to be longer, huh?)
> 
> Anyway, thanks to my smutty friend, Satan (AKA her mortal name, Erica) for writing the smut part!

_"I don't bite, but I heard you might_  
_so let me feed your appetite._  
_Where do we go from here,_  
_Whisper what you want in my ear,_  
_My little puppeteer."_

**[Puppeteer | Max Schneider](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9J6qV4XCYE) **

* * *

Gentle hands caressed Dipper's torso as he was laid down on the hard, and cold ground. The brunette gasped as in a plead for _more_. A handsome man with sandy blond hair appeared in his field of vision, his soft touches on his torso flooding his body with warmth. Dipper recognized him immediately.

"B-Bill...?" Dipper choked out, squirming under his gaze. Bill smiled wickedly, his hands travelling lower, stopping by his inner thigh. Dipper's breath hitched. He slowly grabbed Dipper's gentle cock as his lips slightly touched the head of it. The brunet arched his back an inch and moaned. He swore he could've seen red in the other man's eyes, but a fog of pleasure clouded over his head.

Dipper couldn't stop Bill, he didn't want to either. The blonde dipped his head deeper on the shaft, making a twirling pattern with his slick tongue. He bobbed up and down, giving him a satisfying look of lust in his eyes. A deep red were both painted on their faces. Knots were being tied in Dipper's stomach as he choked out his moans louder and louder. He heard himself crying out Bill's name as he climaxed, his vision fading to sleep.

* * *

Dipper's eyes fluttered open, his lungs gasping for breath.

He held his breath, then let go of it slowly through his nose. His heart was pounding wildly in his chest, like an African drum. Dipper stayed lying down on his bed, his eyes squeezed shut. He tried to calm his beating heart as much as he can, but it just wouldn't stop. _It was just a dream, it didn't happen, it was just a_ dream _, Dipper_ , he chanted in his mind, his chest heaving up and down.

But, even though he wouldn't ever admit this to anyone, he really wished it was real.

Dipper gulped down another breath of air, putting a hand on his chest and rubbing it there. His heart was starting to ache hard, both from how much it was pounding and the possible disappointment of not having it actually be real. Oh God. What was wrong with him?

He unpeeled his covers off his body, feeling a sudden stickiness shift in his pants. He grimaced, throwing his head back down on his pillow. "Aw, _man_ ," he groaned.

"BRO-BR- oh," Mabel screamed out of the top of her lungs, stopping in front of his door with a sheepish look.

"Well, nice to see you up, Sleeping Beauty," she teased.

Dipper squinted at her, scratching an itch on his cheek. "Aren't you supposed to be hungover right now?" he asked, suspicious.

"It's eleven thirty, dude. I'm pretty sure it would've worn off by now," Mabel snorted, rolling her eyes at him. He saw that his twin was wearing blue, diamond earrings. A gift from Pacifica, he assumed.

"Eleven? But-" Dipper sputtered, her words finally processing.

Mabel pointed at his clock on the wall. He whipped his head to it, and groaned. It really was eleven. "Oh my God, the Shack! Did you-?" Dipper asked in a panic.

"Don't worry, Bro-Bro. I opened it as soon as I can. I let Bill manage the cash register so I can wake you up. Wendy and some new rookie are taking care of the tour," Mabel assured him.

"BILL?!"

"Uh, yeah? Why, did he-?"

Dipper let her question hang in the air as he torpedoed out of the room, stuffing his arms into an old, dirty maroon flannel shirt. He was still wearing pajama pants, but he couldn't care less. There was no telling what Bill could do while being left unattended with a cash register. Hell, Dipper had a feeling he gave some customers a little bit more change than he should. Ugh, his Grunkle Stan was going to _murder_ him.

"Bill, wait-!" Dipper cried when he reached the gift shop. He saw Bill peering at a green hat that a tourist (who looked pretty rich, considering his suit and new, shiny phone held to his ear) gave him. Dipper clamped his mouth shut. He couldn't make a scene here. He needed to stop this immediately without causing suspicion.

"Oh, uh..." Bill spoke, squinting at the price tag that clearly said '7.00$', "it's seven hundred dollars, sir."

Dipper opened his mouth to snap at Bill and apologize to the tourist, but the man just put away his phone calmly, pulled out his wallet, and gave Bill seven hundred dollars. "Is that enough?" the man grunted.

"Yeah," Bill said with a smile. The man grunted his goodbye and left the store with the hat in a cheap plastic bag. Dipper face-palmed.

Dipper saw Mabel out of the corner of his eye, her mouth hung open like his. "Did that guy just...?" Mabel trailed off.

"Bill didn't even add the taxes," Dipper grumbled. Mabel hit his arm, and Dipper flinched, rubbing the spot with a pout.

"Yo, Bill, you're the real MVP!" Mabel whooped, jumping up and down and flashing Bill Cipher the thumbs up. 

Bill smiled kindly at her, pulling out a banana from behind the counter (Dipper wondered how long he's been keeping snacks down there), and unpeeled it- excruciatingly slow. Dipper watched him with an intense gaze, and Bill stared back with a smirk. He deep-throated the banana and bit it off, chewing, then swallowing. Bill licked his lips, and Dipper's left hand twitched.

"Is there a pine tree in your pants, or are you just happy to see me?" Bill asked innocently.

Dipper's eyes widened, and looked down to his pajama pants. A tent was formed in the middle of it, the colour of the pants all dark and sticky from last night's dream. "U- uh whoops! Morning wood! Got- gotta take a shower!" he stammered, pivoting around and getting the hell out of there. He heard a burst of laughter coming from the gift shop, and he was suddenly thankful that only Mabel and Bill were there, and that it was a slow day.

"You might want to slow down on those wet dreams, Dipper!" his sister called out to him, followed by bursts of giggles and laughter.

Dipper's face became a bright shade of red, and he closed the door to the bathroom as soon as he reached it. He locked the door and fell against the wooden frame, hiding his face in his hands. He fucked up immensely. He really fucked up.

And what was with that look? Why did Bill look at him like that? Did he have the same dream? Ohgodohgodohgod-

Dipper sighed through his nose, rubbing the left side of his face. He grabbed his hair with both hands, squeezing the greasy hair until it hurt. It was completely possible for people to have the same dream, especially in a place like Gravity Falls, but it was almost impossible to have the same exact details. Was Bill's dream more detailed or less? How did Bill feel about...that? _Stupid!_ he thought angrily. Why would he even assume Bill had the same dream? He could've just been teasing him!

Dipper's hands slackened in his hair. Bill slept in the same bed with him.

Oh my God. _Oh my God._

He sprang up and made a frustrated noise, pacing around the bathroom with a lion's impatience. First, he needed to shower. He smelled like Waddles' pig pen.

* * *

_"DISCOOORD! I'M HOWLING AT THE MOON, AND SLEEPING IN THE MIDDLE OF A SUMMER AFTERNOO-!"_

Dipper clamped a hand over her mouth, and kept driving. He glanced at her with an irritated look, getting an apologetic smile in return. They were driving to the park, leaving the Shack to Wendy and the rookie for the afternoon just so they can go out for a while. After all, it was probably the hottest day in Gravity Falls so far. 

"You might want to keep your music down a little bit," Dipper reminded her.

"Sorry! I just like jamming out!" Mabel shouted, a little too loudly. She was wearing headphones, and Dipper could hear music hissing out of it.

Bill, who was in the backseat behind them, was leaning his head against the window and listening to the generic pop song coming from the radio. Both Bill and Dipper had an argument between which station they should choose, and they both agreed to keep it on the main radio station to avoid more conflict. Looking at him through the backseat mirror, Dipper's heart warmed. Bill looked peaceful when he had his eyes closed like that- at least as peaceful as he could get. Dipper still had no idea how he went from making vrooming noises and Star Wars sound effects (Mabel made them binge watch it lately after finding out Bill didn't know what that was) to sleeping like a knocked-out kid.

Mabel began rocking out to her songs again, banging her head and tapping her feet to the beat. It was almost comical, if it weren't for the fact that she did this almost every single time they got into his old car.

"You moan in your sleep," Bill commented with a flat tone, his eyes still closed.

Dipper almost braked, and was thankful he didn't. He turned to look at him when they got to a stop sign. "What?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly. Bill didn't open his eyes, but smirked and started to chuckle. The hot fucking chuckle that Dipper seriously couldn't take. His cheeks warmed and tingled against his will. Thankfully, that was the only thing that Bill couldn't laugh at due to the fact that he had his eyes closed. 

"You moan in your sleep," he repeated slowly, "you started to make noises in the middle of the night. I thought you were crying at first, then I kind of recognized your- ahem."

"Wh- how-?" Dipper stammered, jarring back to reality when a driver honked at him to move on. He sped down the road once more, his attention to the street before him. He was thankful Mabel was wearing headphones right now, or else he wouldn't hear the last of this.

"Why were you making noises?" Bill asked suspiciously. Dipper saw him open one eye in curiosity on the backseat mirror.

"W- well-" Dipper stuttered, his knuckles turning white on the wheel. "You heard Mabel, Bill. I- I was having a wet dream," he admitted, just so he can get Bill off his track. Bill bobbed his head in understanding.

"Wait, how come you know what wet dreams are, but not technology?" Dipper asked, the sudden thought popping into his head. 

"I'm a de- German guy, Pine Tree. We like our dirty humor. We just really don't like anything that has to do with wires," Bill told him, leaning forward in his seat as much as his seat belt could allow.

Dipper glanced at him through the mirror, and even in that one second of inspecting him, saw that he was tired. There was bags underneath Bill's eyes, along with a sluggish-ness to him that reminded Dipper of the time he didn't sleep for two days straight because he was researching things for a project. Though it seemed like Bill was tired as hell, Bill was smiling like an idiot. "Bill?" Dipper questioned, concern filling his voice.

"Mm?"

"How long do you usually sleep?"

"Two to three hours at least, Pine Tree."

Dipper braked this time, parking on the side, glancing behind his shoulder to look at Bill. His sister put down her headphones in confusion when she saw the distress on her twin's face. "What? What happened while I was jamming out to Sev'ral Timez?" she asked.

"Are you serious?" Dipper asked in horror, ignoring his sister. Bill frowned.

"Why would I be kidding?" he asked in the same confusion Mabel was in.

"Bill! You- you have to at least get six hours of sleep a day! Wh- how- what are you even staying up for?" Dipper asked him. Mabel's eyebrows rose at his brother, then she looked at Bill, waiting for his answer too. Music hissed out of her headphones.

"Sleep is no fun, kid," Bill groaned.

"I know," Dipper said through gritted teeth, "but you need that sleep, Bill. Promise me you'll sleep longer this time."

Mabel's jaw ticked, her expression changing every few seconds. First, a look of surprise, then a proud smile directed at Dipper, then a frown at the ground, and so on and so forth. Bill hummed, crossing his arms across his chest. "Whatever, kid, but I want something back in return," he said after a while. 

"What now?" Dipper snapped.

"Let me sleep in your room for now on."

"What?!" Dipper and Mabel screeched.

"You let me sleep in there already- well, technically, you were already asleep but- whatever! I liked sleeping on that comfy bed. It's much better than the couch. Plus, I have to sleep there anyway, since you made that deal with me when we watched that movie," Bill pointed out bluntly. 

Dipper could feel Mabel stare at him with an intensity Dipper was sure he'd melt against. "Dipper?" Mabel asked, her voice an octave higher, which was very impressive.

"Bill, I want you to sleep healthier, man, but I'm not that-" Dipper began in exasperation. 

"Deal or no deal?" Bill interrupted, reaching a little bit further to him and sticking out his hand. Dipper and Mabel shared a look.

"Hoe don't do it," she begged.

Dipper sighed, reached over, and shook Bill's hand.

"Oh my God," she groaned, hiding her face in her hands and sliding down her seat.

"I had no choice! We can't have him snoozing off everywhere on the job!" he argued, his ears turning red in embarrassment.

"Dipper, you're letting him sleep in your bed! And what was that part about him sleeping there last-?" she asked, a confused look on her face. Dipper pushed down on the acceleration, cutting Mabel's sentence off. Bill laughed in the backseat, looking carefree as he put his arms over his head.

Thankfully, the park was just around the corner and he was able to pull up his car in the parking lot.

"Woot woot!" Mabel cheered, instantly cheering up and pumping her fists in the air. Dipper laughed at his twin's antics, punching her arm playfully. She stuck out her tongue at him, her eyes sparkling with mischievousness. When they were little, they always cheered each other up by going to the park and eating ice cream. If Mabel needed cheering up, they went in the morning. If Dipper needed cheering up, they went during the night. It was a weird ritual of theirs, but they loved it.

Bill watched the twins with crossed arms and an amused twitch of his lips, looking between them. "Why would you two even like going outdoors when you can just go out of your Shack?" Bill questioned in curiosity. Then he tilted his head, thinking for a while. He snapped his fingers, and seemed as if a light bulb turned on. "It reminds the two of you of each other!" Bill shouted, proud to finally figure it out. Dipper and Mabel looked at each other, raising an eyebrow each in question. "At night, there are clear shooting stars out," Bill explained, "and, of course, pine trees litter the place like my Father's socks."

Mabel snorted. "You have a _dad_?" she asked, scoffing. Dipper elbowed her, and she cried out in mock pain, glaring at him. "Whaaat? That was a legit question!" she argued.

"Of course I have a dad, Shooting Star. How else can I be here?" Bill told her patiently, not a hint of irritation in his voice.

"Oh well...I kind of just assumed you, you know, _appeared_ here?" Mabel said feebly, twiddling her fingers to make her point. Bill laughed joyfully, like her statement amused him more than offended.

"Honestly, Mabel, you are literally the weirdest girl I've met," Dipper snorted, opening his car door. Mabel followed suit, Bill reluctantly getting out of the car after her.

"So, what are we even doing here?" he asked in mild curiosity, pulling back his collar and snapping it back in place. The car was air-conditioned, but now that they were out in the great outdoors, it felt like being left out in a heater. Sweat tickled Dipper's eyebrows, and he mopped it away with his sleeve. He really should've changed out into a short-sleeved shirt instead of his usual flannel. He was baking out in this kind of weather. Mabel seemed to have no problem with the heat, even as far as wearing a thin sweater with her iconic shooting star symbol on it.

"Ice cream, obviously!" Mabel squealed, shaking Dipper's arm and pointing at the ice cream truck off to the side. Little children were lined up in a perfect, neat row, holding a dollar in their tiny hands. She squealed once more, and grabbed Bill and Dipper's wrists. She pulled them into the line, Dipper chuckling at how excited his twin was about ice cream. Bill, on the other hand, had a confused look on his face.

"Ice...cream?" he said slowly, as if testing the word on his tongue for the first time.

Mabel and Dipper shared a look. _What in the actual fuck._

"Are you serious right now?" Dipper asked, incredulous. Mabel looked at Bill with raised eyebrows, her face in a state of shock and horror. Bill looked between them innocently. He shrugged.

"What?" he said in confusion due to the looks he was getting from them.

"Mommy, this man doesn't know what the love of my life even is!" a little girl cried out, wrenching her arm away from her mother's grip to rush forward and kick Bill in the shin.

Bill picked up the little girl without flinching, and the little girl squeaked in surprise. Dipper inhaled sharply. Mabel was gripping his arm like her life depended on it. Bill's arms weren't even shaking or straining from carrying the girl in the air like that. How strong was he, really?

"Play nice, girl. In a world like yours, you can't have everything you want," Bill scolded like how a father would, setting down the little girl gently. The girl ran back to her mother, who hugged her with open arms and gave her a scolding of her own.

Dipper and Mabel glanced at each other with matching looks of surprise. "You know," Mabel drawled, "he'd be a good father." Dipper elbowed her hard.

The line moved forward, and now, they were at the front. "How much will you be willing to bet that Bill will moan when he tries the cookies n' cream flavor?" Mabel teased, elbowing Dipper.

"Five dollars that he won't," Dipper chirped.

"Better get that money ready, Bro-Bro," she chirped back, then faced the ice cream man. She slammed down a five dollar bill of her own. "Three cookies n' cream, large swirl," she said, her tone almost a challenge. The ice cream man stared at her, before taking the money, gave back her change, and shrugged, moving to the back to get their order.

They got it back a minute later, and they moved to a bench to eat it.

Bill moaned softly when he licked the ice cream, following the example Mabel showed him so he wouldn't get brain freeze. Mabel looked over at Dipper with a satisfied glance, and her grouchy twin sighed. He fished out a five dollar bill and handed it over, Mabel making a pleased hum behind the back of her throat.

"So, I was meaning to ask you two if you wanted to go to the amusement park opening up tomorrow," Mabel finally said, breaking the warm silence between the three of them.

Dipper kept eating his ice cream, feeling the stickiness on his mouth. He wiped it off, and gave Mabel a thumbs up. "Eh, we go there every year. Why not?" he said, bored.

Mabel cheered, hugging her brother. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! Pacifica wants to go, and I can't bear to leave you guys alone at the Shack!" she squealed, hugging her brother tight.

"Too...tight...Mabel..." Dipper wheezed.

Mabel let go of her brother, then leaned forward to look at Bill. "So, how about you?" she sang.

Bill was silent, his eyes flitting back and forth between them with a slightly slackened jaw. He looked so lost. "Another park? Mabel, what is with you and artificial grass?" Bill asked in disbelief. Dipper groaned, and Mabel playfully punched Dipper's arm.

"C'mon, just tell him!" she huffed angrily.

"Fine, fine," Dipper grumbled, "basically, an amusement park is like a playground for bigger kids. There are ferris wheels, roller coasters- wait, you know what they are, right? Ugh, basically, a bunch of rides on wheels that make you puke but have a shit ton of fun."

Bill looked at Dipper with a shocked look. "Damn," Mabel grumbled, "when you put it that way, Dip-Dop, it doesn't sound half as fun."

Bill suddenly smirked. "That sounds like my kind of place. Upchucking those yellow stingy things? Hell yeah! Lemme ride on one of them!"

Dipper raised an eyebrow, eating his ice cream with a shake of his head. Now that Bill wanted to go, he suddenly didn't feel like going. "Bill, the amusement park-" he began.

"Please, Pine Tree? I hate that word with a passion, kid, I really fucking hate it, but for the love of everything on this god-forsaken dimension, please?" Bill begged, his eyes all wide and pleading. Dipper kept staring at him with an unamused look.

"You have to try harder, than that, Cipher," he said flatly.

"Pleeeeease?" both Mabel and Bill begged, putting their hands together in between their ice creams and scooting closer to Dipper with big, pouty eyes.

" _No_ ," Dipper spoke, biting the side of his ice cream cone and ripping the wafer off with his teeth.

Bill sighed, scooting away from Dipper and licking his ice cream. "You left me no choice, kid," he deadpanned. Mabel and Dipper glanced at each other.

"No...choice for what?" Dipper asked slowly. Bill's lips twitched into a smile, and he threw away his ice cream cone with a yelp from Mabel, who reached out for the ice cream with a desperate look.

"That was a dollar!" she cried. Dipper snorted, but Bill wasn't focused on her.

He stood up suddenly, causing Dipper to look up at him in confusion. "Bill, what-?" he began. Bill took a deep breath.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I HAVE FUCKED THE BIG DIPPER, I REPEAT, I HAVE _FUCKED_ THE BIG DIP-!"


	10. "Why does a heart beat, Pine Tree?"

_"Round and round like a horse on a carousel, we go,_  
_Will I catch up to love? I could never tell, I know,_  
_Chasing after you is like a fairytale, but I,_  
_Feel like I'm glued on tight to this carousel."_

**[Carousel | Melanie Martinez](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e3ENTJg6Qc) **

* * *

"Are we there yet, are we there yet, are we there yet?" Mabel asked in excitement, literally jumping in her seat.

Dipper rolled his eyes, stepping harder on the gas. Bill snorted at Mabel's excitement, but Dipper could tell he was just excited, but didn't want to express it. In all honesty, all Dipper has seen Bill express was anger, boredom, and amusement. That was literally it. "Almost, Mabel," he grunted out for the five hundredth time. And, for once, he was actually telling the truth. If you squint enough, you can see the top of the ferris wheel beyond Gravity Falls. It was only 10 in the morning (they left the Mystery Shack to some trusted employees) but the ferris wheel was already lit up. It made it harder to look at it, but Dipper had to admit it didn't look half bad in the sun. He could tell it would look like a masterpiece at night.

Bill must've seen it not too long ago, as he went quiet, staring out of the window with his forehead pressed against the glass. His two eyes (he abandoned the eye patch, thankfully) was twinkling with curiosity and awe, like a kid in a candy store. Bill, insisting that going to the amusement park was a special occasion, dressed up like he was going to a Northwest party. He was dressed in a casual navy blue suit with the sleeves rolled up, his dark-washed jeans a courtesy from Mabel. It made Dipper feel too casual, as he was wearing a dark red flannel and matching dark-washed jeans (What? Washing clothes was overrated).

Dipper ripped his eyes away from the backseat mirror, both so he could focus on the road (despite having no one in a five mile radius) and so Bill didn't think he was creepy, which he was.

"What ride are we going on first, Bro-Bro? Huh, huh, _huh_?" Mabel asked with a rabbit's impatience, giving up on bouncing up and down and was tapping her foot rapidly.

"How much Redbull did you have before we left?" her twin asked with a sigh.

She thought for a while. "Four. Why? WHICH RIDE?"

Dipper flinched slightly at her loud tone, and then relaxed his hands on the steering wheel. Maybe this is why he never agreed easily to go to the amusement park every year. Though he always put up a fight, Mabel always won. In this case, with Bill's shouting.

His ears felt hot to the touch, and his shoulders scrunched up. Never in his life did he feel so violated. So fucking _attacked_. Ugh. Now he was sounding like Mabel. 

"We can...try a roller coaster?" he suggested meekly.

"A coaster with roller blades?" Bill snorted.

Mabel smiled wickedly at that, glancing at Dipper. "You'll see," she chirped, leaning back against her seat with a hum. She was humming a tune from her favorite boy band. "You'll love it, Bill Bop."

"Does it make me puke?" Bill asked in excitement, leaning from the backseat towards them, straining his seat belt. Dipper rolled his eyes, turning on a corner and intentionally stopping the car suddenly to force Bill back in his seat. Bill ignored Dipper, his eyes focused on Mabel with a sparkle in them.

"Some. Especially the ones that go upside down," Mabel told him with the same amount of excitement. Bill whooped, fist-bumping Mabel.

"Hell yeah!" he cheered.

"Hey! Only I can fist bump with Mabel!" Dipper told him, irritated.

"Aw, don't be jealous that he's cooler than you, Sir Dipping Sauce," Mabel teased, punching his shoulder.

"What? Pffft," he said, "I'm not jealous of that _thing!_ I- I just...you know..."

"Hmmm?" Mabel mocked, repeatedly punching Dipper's shoulder with a smirk on her face.

"Oh look! We're here!" Dipper shouted, hating how he sounded desperate. Mabel and Bill's attention turned from him to the quickly approaching sign that said 'Welcome to the Gravity Falls annual amusement park! Only here for three days!'.

"WE'RE HEEEEERE!" Mabel squealed in delight, grabbing Dipper's arm and shaking it.

"Okay, okay! Calm down, sis!" Dipper huffed, secretly amused by her. Bill had his arms crossed over his chest, his twitching lips giving away to his excitement.

Dipper circled the parking lot, cursing under his breath every single time a person found an empty spot before him. It was packed here for sure, more than usual. As if reading his thoughts, Mabel giggled, "the Love God is performing tonight."

Dipper gave her sister a baffled look. "Love God? Man, I haven't seen him since...that..." Dipper said, scratching an itch on his cheek in embarrassment. The last time he saw Love God was when he was fourteen, when the dude gave him one glance and instantly glared, turning his nose to the air and marching away. He didn't know if the guy still had a grudge against him, but he wasn't going to go and see. He didn't even know  _why_ Love God hated him!

"Hey! We could see him perform later!" Mabel suddenly suggested.

"What? No way!" Dipper snorted. Bill raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, why not, Pine Tree? This guy seems...interesting," Bill drawled.

"Bill, you don't want to see him, trust me. His performances are just a bunch of bullshit," Dipper told him.

"So? Even if he's bad, we can throw tomatoes at him. I love seeing people look like they're covered in blood," Bill added with a bark of laughter.

Mabel laughed with him, and Dipper scowled. His eyes flitted around, looking for a parking spot so they can get out of here. When he found a tight, but open spot, he reversed his huge truck into the parking spot and killed the engine. He was just about to unclip his seat belt when Mabel was already out the car and running to the entrance, screaming bloody murder. No, not really, she was actually screaming, "FOR NARNIAAAAA!" Dipper needed to talk to her about cooling down on her Netflix binge-watching at night.

Bill followed suit, screaming the same words even though he clearly didn't know what that meant. Dipper face-palmed, groaning to himself and dragging his feet to the entrance.

Bill and Mabel were already standing next to the entrance with matching grins on their faces, and Mabel's feet were bouncing up and down like a little girl. "Well, what are you waiting for, Pine Tree? Aren't you supposed to pay, or is it just the Mystery Shack that has that weird green paper rule?" Bill snickered. Dipper rolled his eyes, one hand outstretched to Mabel. Mabel fished some bills out of her small, pink purse and gave it to her brother with a victorious smile.

"Five hundred dollars to pay for admission and all day passes," she sang.

Dipper nodded and went up to the cash register. He passed the wad of cash through the small opening of the glass and held up three fingers. "All day pass with admission," he told the guy. The guy took the bills and peered at his computer. "Sir, I need five hundred more," he said in a monotone. Dipper's eyebrows rose in question. "I thought they were only-?" he began in confusion.

"Too many people are asking for all day passes, sir. We had to boost up the price," the cashier guy told him boredly, pointing a finger up. Dipper looked up at the price list, and swallowed a lump in his throat. It was double the amount they saw on the internet yesterday.

"B- but I don't have that much money! Can't you just-?" he stammered.

"Good day," the cashier told him, typing stuff up back on his computer and handing him back his wad of cash.

Dipper went back to his sister and Bill with a scowl on his face. "Yo Dip-Dop, what's wrong?" Mabel asked in concern. Her smile disappeared into a small frown when Dipper handed her back the five hundred dollars.

"They boosted it up to a thousand dollars," he explained solemnly. Even though he didn't like going to the amusement park as much as Mabel does, he still enjoyed it somewhat. Bill frowned, his eyes glancing behind Dipper to the cash register.

"What? Dipper, that's insane! Couldn't you do anything about it?" Mabel asked hopefully, her eyes huge.

Dipper's mood deflated. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't do anything to make the guy change his mind. That stupid, acne-head idiot just rudely told me to go like I was-" Dipper mumbled, pulling his hat lower.

"I'll go pay," Bill told them breezily.

Mabel and Dipper's heads whipped to him. "What?" Mabel said, incredulous. "Bill, you really don't have to do that, we'll just-" she assured him.

"No, no. I got this, Shooting Star. You give me those needs called food and water, so I should pay back," he told her with a light, charming smile.

"You gave us five gold bars, man, I don't think you have to-" Dipper began. Bill left them without another word, making Dipper frown. "He doesn't even have money with him," he realized in confusion.

"Psssh. Bill can make things appear in thin air, I'm sure," she said with a wave of a hand.

They were alone.

Dipper shifted his weight from foot to foot uncomfortably, his hands stuffed in his jean pockets to hide the tremor. This usually didn't happen between them, but now with the situation with Bill, it was happening more and more frequently. "So..." Dipper began slowly, "how's Pacifica?"

Mabel smiled kindly, her hands crossed over her chest from the cold. "She's alright," she chirped, "I'm guessing she's waiting for me inside. She told me she'd pay for our admissions, but as she calls it, I don't take hand outs." Dipper snorted at that, from both the irony and the tone Mabel was using.

"You took five gold bars from Bill, no problem," Dipper pointed out. 

"That's different," Mabel argued, "Pacifica's my girlfriend and Bill was just plain old annoying."

Dipper laughed out loud at that, making Mabel laugh with him. "I see your point, sis," Dipper said again, elbowing her gently. She elbowed him back teasingly. Another silence fell over them.

Dipper suddenly remembered what he wanted to talk about, and started twiddling his thumbs like a little kid. He avoided Mabel's eyes, looking beyond the entrance to see the rides and yelling kids. "So, Mabel, I was kind of meaning to ask you..." he began awkwardly, scratching another itch on his face. "I kind of...heard you arguing with Bill and-" he started again when Mabel didn't respond.

Mabel looked sharply at him, her eyes full of panic. "How much did you hear?" she asked quietly.

"Just...snippets, you could say. You said that my memories were erased for a reason, and I was out of the door by then," Dipper admitted, shifting uncomfortably at how panicked Mabel seemed. She smoothed out her hair with a hand, her breaths coming out uneven. "Mabel," he said slowly. "What- what did you do to me?" No horror in his voice, just a legitimate question he wanted,  _needed_ the answer to.

"Dipper," she breathed, "I am _so, so, so sorry._ "

Dipper's heart pounded. "Mabel?" he called out with a strained voice.

Mabel chewed on her bottom lip, her eyes darting around. "Dipper," she said again, "it- it isn't a big deal and I should of told you a long time ago but-"

" _Mabel!_ " Dipper said sharply, making his twin jump in surprise. "Damn it, Mabel. Look, I trust you. Just- tell me what happened. Please?" he begged. He looked into her brown eyes, _their_ brown eyes. He meant every single word. If she came running home to him, panting and soaking wet, saying that she just killed a man, he wouldn't ask questions and get the shovel. They were each others' best friend for eighteen, almost nineteen years, and they swore to each other that no secrets will ever be kept against each other, no matter what. For Mabel to break that rule...

Mabel took a deep breath through her nose, then exhaled, closing her eyes for a brief moment. "Bro-Bro," she said quietly, "you got a concussion when we were fourteen. You forgot everything about the first time we came to Gravity Falls and some blotches of memories here and there, which could probably be because your memories revolved around those individual things. That's what the doctors said, anyway. I didn't tell you because it was kind of a good thing. You-" her voice caught, and for once, it was her who seemed to look unsure. She shifted her weight from foot to foot. "-you tried to kill yourself. You had suicidal thoughts for months, years, _I don't know._ Dipper, I almost _lost_ you, and I didn't want it to happen again."

Dipper almost stepped back from shock. He took a sharp breath, looking at his sister with a confused, awed look. "I was...suicidal?" he asked in almost a whisper. Mabel hesitated, then nodded slightly. Just a dip of her head to the ground, but Dipper knew. "Why?" he asked again. Mabel didn't reply, her eyes focused to the ground. "Mabel. _Please_ ," he begged in almost a whisper. He grabbed both of her shoulders and shook her, forcing her to look into their identical eyes. Her eyes gave everything away. She was like an open book to him, and vice versa. Hurt, bad memories, sadness, guilt, you name it.

" _I don't know_ ," she clipped, stepping away from him.

"What do you mean, you _don't_ _know?_ Mabel, this is huge! I- I almost killed myself? What- what was so bad about some of my memories that I tried to do that?!" Dipper asked, almost hysterical. He put his hands on top of his head, pacing around his sister. Bill was taking a long time, but he was glad. They needed time to talk about this.

"Mom and Dad didn't even know about your depression until you got into that car accident. You probably don't remember that either because of shock. At least, that's what the doctor taking care of you told me. I really don't know, Dipper, but I was afraid if I told you that you lost your memories, you'd have a backlash and remember it," Mabel whimpered.

"Do...do you think it started when we first came to Gravity Falls, which is why I can't remember it?" Dipper asked her. Her eyebrows furrowed together, and she frowned at the ground. "No. You were...happy when we were twelve. You probably just forgot it because it had such an impact on your life. Everything went down to shit when we turned fourteen though," she said with a bittersweet laugh. Dipper licked his dry lips, taking off his hat briefly to run a hand through it.

"On another note, you and Bill seem to be hitting it off," she said with a real, genuine laugh, her optimistic view in life coming back. Even then, Dipper could tell that she was worried about him with her smile a little strained and wobbly.

"Oh, stop teasing me about that," Dipper groaned playfully, hitting her shoulder. If she was going to pretend that something wasn't wrong, then so was he. 

"Why not? Can I not be happy over my brother's new relationship in over a hundred centuries?" Mabel sang.

"I'm interested in Bill, and probably not vice versa. We're not dating!" Dipper argued.

"Okay, fine. You two are not dating, _yet._ But I bet you five dollars and a nickel that you two would get together by the end of the summer," she told him.

"Oh, it's on," Dipper grinned. Mabel matched his grin, and Dipper was relieved to see that happy-go-lucky Mabel was back. He really didn't like guilty-and-sad Mabel. Or any other version of Mabel, in all honesty. 

"Wait so uh," Dipper began awkwardly. "Are you...okay...with me...and uh...him?" He twiddled his fingers, trying to make his point sheepishly. She kept sending him mixed signals, after all. "No, don't fall in love with him!" to "Dude, just bang him already!" in two seconds flat, most of the time. 

"Are you kidding! I'm more than okay!" Mabel told him with a laugh. Then her laugh slowly faded, and she tapped her chin in concentration. "But, I'd rather you date someone else than him, but that's your choice, not mine. I haven't seen you look so lively in years, even if that meant someone like him was annoying you."

"So...you're okay with him? I mean, you seemed pretty disturbed by the fact that him and I were even in the same room before," Dipper said in surprise. Mabel gave him a half-smile. Not really a smirk, but not a real smile either.

"Love is love, Dipping Sauce. Not even I can stop it. Well, maybe Love God's potions can help, but you get what I mean," she said, bumping her shoulder with him. He pushed her back gently with a snicker.

"So, if you had a choice, would you break me up with Bill?" Dipper asked in pure curiosity.

"Honestly, yeah. But Mabel the Great does not interfere with love!" she said grandly, puffing out her chest and putting her hands on her hips like a superhero.

"Mabel the Great also does not interfere when her brother needs help cleaning the toilet that _she_ clogged," Dipper mumbled. Mabel hit the back of his head.

"I'm back!" Bill sang, coming towards them with three red plastic bracelets.

Dipper raised his eyebrows in question, but didn't speak when he handed him an all day pass. Mabel beamed at Bill, her eyes no longer showing the remorse from their long-winded talk. She slipped it on, bending her wrist to test the stiffness. "You even got the good ones," she whooped. Dipper slipped his own, and watched as Bill tried to do the same, but failed. He chuckled, stepping forward and taking Bill's bracelet. He pulled it apart, gestured for Bill's wrist, and clasped it back on.

"Is it too tight?" Dipper asked.

"Nah," Bill told him with a wave of dismissal. There was a short pause, short enough that only Dipper noticed, before Bill added, "Thanks, Pine Tree."

They entered the amusement park with Mabel's pulling both of their wrists behind her, squealing in delight. Her head whipped back and forth, up and down, looking at every single ride. She blabbed about going to each one, and Dipper had to remind her that they should just go the closest one and start from there. "We have all night, Mabel. We can even go again tomorrow if you want," Dipper assured her.

"Alright, good! I want to go to every single one!" she chirped, pulling them into the line for a random ride. Dipper strained on his tip-toes to see over the heads to see what ride it was, and mentally groaned. The X-Treme Roller Coaster, AKA the most stomach-turning roller coaster in the park. They were definitely going to puke after this.

"Mabel, are you sure about trying this one first? I mean, it-" Dipper began.

"Hey, you're the one who said we should try the nearest ride first," Mabel interrupted.

"Yeah, Pine Tree," Bill said as well, looking over Mabel's shoulder to meet Dipper's glare with an innocent smile. It was a good thing Mabel was standing between them.

Not even a minute later, the line surged forward and they were suddenly at the front of the line, thanks to their all day pass. They climbed into their seats, and since the seats were arranged in sets of three, it was perfect. Mabel was on one end, Bill at the other, making Dipper squish between them. The operator for the ride boredly told them to keep their hands and feet in the ride at all times, and set down their giant restraints down. Dipper's seat bar kept him tightly in place, and his heart began to pound. He forgot how scary it was until he was actually sitting in the seat. But he wasn't as freaked out as Mabel was.

Mabel looked up at the railings in which they were going to go up in with a white, pale face. She gulped, and Dipper looked at her with an _I told you so_ look. Mabel was scared of heights, but she always seemed to forget that herself until she was already too deep in the shit.

Bill, on the other hand, was casually watching the park beyond the ride with a smirk. He was particularly fond of the haunted house not far from where they were, an amused glint playing in his eyes. "Look at that knock-off haunted house," Bill whispered to Dipper with a chuckle. Dipper's eyes narrowed to the haunted house, and shivered. That place used to give him nightmares, and even though he was past that point, it still gave him the creeps.

"I wouldn't necessarily call that a knock off," Dipper admitted.

Bill gave him a cheeky smile. "Scared, Pine Tree?" he taunted. Dipper sneered, his hands loosening on the restraint in front of him.

"I'm not scared of that cheap old place," Dipper said, "but I'd like to see if you are."

Bill gave him a curious tilt of the head. "Are you honestly challenging me?" he asked innocently.

"Maybe I am."

The blond-haired guy slowly smiled at him. He stuck out a hand to Dipper, and Dipper looked at it in confusion. "If I scream, even once, in that cheap old grandmother's house, you can kick me out of your room. If I don't, I still get to sleep in your room," Bill negotiated.

"You do realize that this benefits purely me and not you?" Dipper laughed.

"Exactly," Bill smirked.

Dipper gave him a curious glance, but then shook Bill's soft, firm hand.

"Get ready to lose, Bi-" Dipper began. The cart shot forward, throwing Dipper and the rest of the passengers against their seats. Mabel gulped beside him, and Bill began to laugh. From their bet, or the ride starting, Dipper couldn't tell.

* * *

Bill threw up once more in the trash can, his chest heaving.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," he grinned, before being forced to bend down once more to throw up his food. Dipper rolled his eyes, making a circle pattern on the back of Bill's back to relieve him.

Mabel was throwing up on a parallel trash can from Bill, Pacifica holding her hair back while she looked down at Mabel with a wrinkled nose. "I told you not to ride the spinning tea cups after we just ate sea food," Pacifica sighed.

"But it was so tempting!" Mabel moaned, throwing up another time.

"Same goes for you, Bill," Dipper said to the currently throwing up psycho.

"Shooting Star got me into it!" Bill argued, before belching.

Pacifica and Dipper shared a knowing look.

"Your sister is crazy," Pacifica told him flatly. It was hard to hear her over the noise of the carnival rides and games behind them, but he had practice straining his ears every time Mabel turned on the vacuum while Grunkle Stan told him to get him something.

"I warned you," Dipper replied with a smile.

"I don't know how you can deal with _that_ , though," she said again, nodding her head to the bent over body puking in front of Dipper.

"I don't know either," he sighed.

"Alright, alright. I'm good," Mabel panted, slowly lifting her head up and wiping her mouth with a sleeve. She belched, but kept it in with a pant. "Thanks, Paz," she thanked, holding onto Pacifica's shoulder. The blonde girl smiled at her kindly.

Slowly, Bill lifted up his head, a smile playing on his lips. "Woo! Let's do that again!" he stated, pumping the air with a fist.

"NO!" the three of them yelled.

Bill winced. "Okay, jeez," he huffed.

"So," Pacifica began. "Where to next?"

Mabel shrugged her shoulders, and Dipper did the same. Bill had a thoughtful look on his face, but didn't reply. He hummed under his breath.

"It's like-" Dipper said, squinting at his wristwatch, "eight PM. Love God's performance doesn't start until nine. We got an hour."

"Thanks for elaborating, Dipper," Pacifica snorted. Dipper glared at her. Once Mabel started dating her not so long ago, both Dipper and Pacifica had to get along. They got along most of the time, especially since Pacifica no longer stayed that bratty child she used to be, but she still kept her "ew, normal citizens" attitude, but it toned down when she began dating Mabel. Dipper was secretly glad they got together, mostly because Mabel stopped bothering him as much and Pacifica became more civilized. But he hated hanging out with the stuck up, Northwest brat.

"I know there was a place I was meaning to go to," Bill mumbled, his tongue out to the side. "Oh!" he suddenly yelled, snapping his fingers, "the haunted house!"

Dipper groaned. He almost got out of it. Mabel and Pacifica, on the other hand, agreed. "I haven't been to the haunted house since I was like, fourteen," Pacifica agreed.

"Been there, done that," Mabel said offhandedly, "but we shall conquer the ghosts once more!"

"And," Mabel said again, before any of them could move, "I have an idea."

Dipper gestured for her to continue. Mabel rubbed her hands in front of her like a super-villain, smirking to herself. "Paz and I go first. You, my amazing bro, go with Bill Bop a couple minutes later," she said.

"Okay?" Dipper said in confusion. Pacifica and him shared a look, but she just shrugged in response.

"Sounds like a plan, Shooting Star," Bill said boredly, looking at his slightly stained suit sleeve from his puking.

The three of them were lead by Mabel to the haunted house, which coincidentally was just a walk away from where they were. "Paz! To the bat cave!" she cried, taking Pacifica by the hand and pulling her into the dark entrance, where they both yelled almost immediately. 

"I am suing all of you!" Pacifica shouted angrily.

"Aw, don't be a killjoy, _mon capitaine,_ " Mabel complained, voice echoing out to them. 

"How much are you willing to bet that Miss Direction will claw out a face with her razor sharp nails?" Bill questioned.

"We both know she will," Dipper chuckled.

That made Bill smile. He glanced around the amusement park, his smile never leaving. "I haven't had this much fun in years," Bill admitted.

"I'm glad to make you happy," Dipper admitted as well.

"I'll return the favor soon, Pine Tree," he told Dipper with a laugh.

Dipper glanced at the haunted house. "But first, let's see how tough you really are," Dipper teased. Bill chuckled lightly, holding out an elbow. Without hesitation, and surprising himself and Bill included, he latched his own elbow and lead Bill to the house.

"Pshhh, cheap ghost masks and fake blood? As if that can scare me," Bill said breezily.

* * *

A loud, girly scream could be heard throughout the park.

Bill jumped, hiding behind Dipper when a little's girl's face showed up with half of her face burnt.

"Calm yourself, Bill," Dipper laughed, putting a hand over Bill's hand on his shoulder and gently removing it.

"How?! HOW, PINE TREE?!" Bill cried, putting a hand over his eyes.

"Take a deep breath, and know that we're almost done," Dipper assured him.

"You said that last time," Bill whimpered.

Dipper rolled his eyes, and moved forward. "I've been through here countless times. As soon as we pass this place, we're done," he assured him once more. Bill moaned, burying his face in Dipper's shoulder.

"If the human centipede shows up, I swear to everything this dimension has worked for, Pine Tree-" Bill growled.

"It was a movie with special effects," Dipper muttered. Then he thought for a while. "On second thought, I never actually saw if it was special effects or real people," he said again.

"PINE TREE!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Dipper laughed, rattling the rusty door.

It opened with a horror movie creak, and Bill's breathing unevened. He lifted his head from Dipper's shoulder, and Dipper knew for a fact that his eyes were wide and darting around like a scared animal. Both of Bill's hands were on Dipper's shoulders, and they were trembling. So much for being cocky.

They stepped through an empty hallway, with the words 'EXIT' at the end of it. "It's like what you guys think of as the light at the end of the tunnel," Bill moaned.

"I told you we were finished," Dipper puffed out, walking forward.

Their feet creaked and echoed throughout the entire hallway. Dipper had to shrug off Bill's hands as it was trembling so much, making Bill scowl at him in the dark. Spider webs coated the corners, and real spiders crawled through the cracks. Some blood splattered on the wall and floor, making Dipper and Bill step through it with disgusted looks. "Was that ketchup?" Bill asked in disgust.

"Smells like vinegar in here," Dipper muttered, waving a spider web out of his face.

"Yeah, smells a lot like what my mindscape would smell like if I ever had o-"

A man came out of the dark and grabbed onto Bill's back, who screamed so loud that Dipper would've sworn his eardrums blew out. The man pulled Bill away from Dipper, who began kicking and screaming like a tempered child. "Bill, just calm down! He won't hurt-!" Dipper began, irritated.

Then Bill disappeared behind a wall, leaving Dipper very, _very_ confused.

"Aaand, he's gone," Dipper said to no one in particular, scratching the side of his head.

Dipper looked around, straining his ears for sound. He kept forgetting this part, where a man comes in with a burnt face and fake blood all over himself to scare the tourists once last time before they left. But he didn't remember the part where the man takes a person _away.  
_

Dipper grunted under his breath, turning around in a full circle. He began to get worried, but not too much. There were people everywhere, and someone would surely get caught if they were trying to kidnap a person. Right?

Right.

He felt a lump form in his throat. He had a bad feeling about this, and wanted to yell out for Bill. But for some reason, he couldn't yell. He couldn't speak. _Oh no._ Was Bill okay? Did he really get kidnapped? Fuck, Dipper just _watched_ him! What was wrong with him? Maybe he was over-reacting and this was part of the attraction. Or, Bill was currently being chopped into teeny, tiny pieces and Dipper had no control over it and-

"Damn, Shooting Star just bought this for me," Bill grunted, seeming to walk out of the shadows with fake blood staining his sleeve.

"Bill!" Dipper cried. He almost rushed forward to hug him, but changed his mind, as Bill probably wouldn't appreciate it. He coughed into his hand, blushing slightly. Bill finally noticed him, giving him a reassuring smile.

"You won the bet. Now, let's get out of here before I fucking kill you too," Bill growled under his breath.

Dipper laughed under his breath, dramatically walking over to the exit door and opening it, bowing with his arm outstretched to the exit. "Your Highness," Dipper said in a nasty impression of a butler. Bill passed him with his head held high.

Dipper closed the door behind them, not before he saw a hand dropped to the ground, bloody and un-moving. He felt a tickle at the base of his neck as he stepped away from the door. Every year just gets more and more realistic.

"Where did Shooting Star and Miss Direction go?" Bill asked casually, wringing out his sleeve and dripping fake, sticky blood to the pavement. People who passed them gave them weird looks but turned away once they realized that they were near the haunted house.

"I don't know," Dipper said with a full body shrug.

He checked his wrist watch, and inhaled sharply. "It's eight thirty. We have to get to the concert," he said again. 

"Already? Yeesh, and I thought Blendin Blandin had a bad sense of time," Bill mumbled, shaking out his sleeve. Now all that was left of his sleeve was a dark red blotch.

"C'mon," Dipper grunted, walking away from the haunted house to get to the concert site.

They past some rides, and while Bill complained that it would only take a couple minutes, didn't ride on a single one. They walked and walked, usually asking for directions from strangers when they got lost, which, Dipper had to admit, was frequently. From as far as he could tell, the concert was well away from the rides and at the edge of the amusement park to avoid eavesdroppers. That plan was in vain, as Dipper and Mabel both know a spot where you can go to without getting caught.

"Pine Tree, why does my legs feel like it's been injected with unicorn tears?" Bill groaned, practically dragging his feet across the grass. Dipper ignored him, pushing away some branches, ultimately hitting Bill once in a while in the progress. They weren't really going to the front of the stage where most people would watch, but in the secret spot that Dipper and Mabel saw a long time ago. It had the best view of the stage, especially if you brought goggles and some food. Pacifica brought the goggles, he was sure, and he told Mabel to get them some nachos and Pitt Cola, much to Pacifica's complaint of having real peach pits in it.

Dipper pushed away a particularly large branch, being nice for once to allow Bill to pass through before letting go of it. Lo and behold, their secret spot was revealed.

Below the hill, Love God was warming up the crowd with some pep rally talk, and hundreds of people gathered below. Pacifica and Mabel waved them over, eating nachos, Pitt Cola, and burgers. "Why the burgers?" Dipper asked, sitting down on the blue blanket covering the scratchy grass beneath.

"I was hungry, especially after throwing up," Mabel whined, taking a bite into her burger. She smiled instantly, taking another one. Hesitantly, Bill sat on the edge of the blanket, away from the three of them. Dipper felt a little bad, but didn't conference over it. Bill just probably wanted some alone time.

"Love God, Love God, Love God, Love God, Love God!" the crowd chanted below.

"I don't really see the hype over a guy in diapers," Pacifica said with a wrinkled nose.

"Well, most people just want him to make them fall in love with someone so they wouldn't be lonely anymore," Mabel responded happily, resting her head on Pacifica's shoulder.

"That's bullshit. If you want to fall in love, just go out and do it," Pacifica sneered.

"Exactly!" Mabel agreed, rubbing her nose against Pacifica's. 

Dipper almost snorted at their affection, but decided to play nice and just cross his arms over his chest. Bill stayed quiet, watching below without any goggles. He didn't even seem to be paying attention to the stage, as he was playing with the grass mindlessly and looking out with glazed eyes. Dipper frowned, but decided to not question it. How many times did _he_ get that look on his face?

He looked at his wrist watch. 8:50 PM.

"We didn't get to go to the ferris wheel," Bill said quietly with a frown.

Mabel and Pacifica didn't hear him, too busy with catching up on town gossip. Dipper frowned at Bill. "Are you just grumpy because we didn't get to go to the ferris wheel?" Dipper asked him with the same quiet tone. Bill dipped his head once to ground.

"Hey," Dipper told him, "we can go tomorrow. I promise."

Bill looked up at him with a smile. "Thanks, Pine Tree," he said quietly.

"No problem," Dipper beamed. "But uh, why? What's so special about the ferris wheel that got you so sad?"

Bill gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

Dipper was just as confused as Bill. "I mean, it's just a ride that goes by so damn slowly. I haven't been on one in a long time, ever since Mabel got her fear of heights," he explained. "But I remember how bored I got up there anyway."

"Well," Bill elaborated, frowning, "isn't it supposed to, like, symbolize something to you?"

"Bill, I think you need to stop riding the spinning tea cups," Dipper said with a sigh.

Bill grinned at his comment. He rested his head on a hand, looking at Dipper. "It has lights, there's a long line even for the all day pass people, I could hear teenagers talking about it even on the street, and there are _symbols_ on the metal. It has to mean something, right?" Bill asked him.

"Those symbols are just pictures to attract people, Bill," Dipper explained patiently.

"Exactly! What does it mean, Pine Tree? Can you tell me?" Bill asked him in awe, his eyes a little dilated. Dipper had to tear his eyes away from him.

"Well, for once, those symbols just represent the amusement park. The lights kind of make the ferris wheel stand out. And, I guess people just want to go on the ferris wheel because, well, it just helps make memories," Dipper answered truthfully. He waved a hand to the glowing ferris wheel in the distance, and Bill briefly stared at it, before getting bored and looking at Dipper.

"What kind of memories?" Bill pressed. Dipper thought for a while.

"Some couples have their first kiss there. Some people make friends on it. I heard someone got proposed to on there last year," Dipper chuckled lightly. It wasn't a secret that the ferris wheel was a popular couple attraction. Every couple in town or anywhere at all has been on the wheel at least once in their relationship. 

Bill made a satisfied noise, looking back down at the stage. "We need to make memories there," he demanded.

"Yeah, yeah," Dipper said with an eye roll, looking down at the stage with Bill. The concert was just about to start.

Beside them, Pacifica said something that made Mabel and her stand up. "Hey, would it be okay if you guys stay here? Paz and I want to take pictures at the photo booth!" Mabel announced, flashing her teeth with a smile.

"Go ahead. I'm okay here," Dipper encouraged her with a reassuring smile. Bill grunted in dismissal, and they took that as their cue to leave. They were alone.

"And then there were two," Bill drawled.

Dipper ignored him, looking up at the night sky. Stars were out, and he even saw a shooting star shoot past. His eyes drooped, and he was instantly captivated in them. He ignored the concert down below, and watched as stars twinkled at him. He used to be obsessed with constellations when he was little, mostly because of the big dipper birthmark on his forehead. He could name all of the stars out, and that made him smile.

"Why does a heart beat, Pine Tree?"

Dipper suddenly became quiet, looking up at the sky. "It needs to keep your blood pumping, Bill," he said matter-of-factly.

Bill laughed. "I mean, _why?_ It goes so fast sometimes, like now, and other times, I could barely tell it's pumping," Bill mused. Dipper sighed, cracking his knuckles on one hand. He glanced at Bill, and saw him looking at him with a confused look. "Why?" Bill repeated. Dipper's eyes drooped slightly, and he frowned.

Without meaning to, Dipper took Bill's hand gently, placing it over his chest.

As if his heart sensed Bill's hand, it began to pound a heavy rhythm. One beat - _I want you-,_ two beats - _I want you and nobody else-_ , three beats - _I can't live without you-_ , four beats - _please don't leave me-,_ five beats _-I need you, Bill-_ , six beats _-I think I love you and that scares me-._

Bill's hand left his chest slowly, as if hesitant to leave. "Your heart is pounding really hard, Pine Tree," Bill chuckled, resting his hand on his lap and kneading it with his other hand like it was hurting. Dipper laughed under his breath with him, looking back up at the sky. He was slightly embarrassed of what he did, but he wanted to show Bill what he felt around him, even if he didn't get it. It was the only way Dipper could explain how he felt without making a fool of himself.

A weight was put on his lap, and he looked down to see Bill looking up at the sky with slightly parted lips. "I could see you up there, Pine Tree," he whispered, pointing at a particular spot in the sky. Dipper looked up to see the Ursa Major, AKA the Big Dipper, in the sky. The corners of his lips twitched. "There's the Little Dipper," Dipper stated, pointing at the constellation beside the Big Dipper. Bill laughed.

"I should've announced that I fucked the Little Dipper, then," Bill mused. Dipper glared down at him.

Without barely thinking about it, Dipper reached over and ran a hand over Bill's soft hair. He could've sworn that Bill started to purr, but he couldn't tell for sure. He was too engrossed in the moment to be connected with his senses. They began to play a game, pointing at constellations and stating the name, then making up fake stories about it. Dipper's stories were vague and short, while Bill's were long-winded, a little crazy, but passionate, like he believed his stories were actually true.

"The ferris wheel is right there too," Dipper laughed, pointing at the top of the wheel jutting out from the sky. It was turning ever so slightly, and the lights blinked at them. Bill didn't even glance at it.

Dipper frowned to himself. "I thought you liked the ferris wheel?" he inquired.

"Mhm. I still do," Bill answered, one hand under his head and the other on his stomach as he looked up with a soft smile. At himself, Dipper realized.

"Then why won't you look at it?" Dipper asked, the air around him suddenly hard to breathe in.

"I like looking at you more than I like looking at that old wheel, Pine Tree."

Dipper's face heated up, and he cleared his throat. "Uh, Bill?" Dipper suddenly said, plucking the courage, to _finally_ ask Bill something that he wondered for days on end now. He had the courage to speak to Mabel, it could still last up to now, right?

"Mm?"

"I- I was just wondering...you know, since I've met you just about a week ago a- and I thought...why would you uh- ugh, I can't say this properly, can I?" Dipper groaned, rubbing his forehead with the base of his hand. Five seconds in and he was already regretting his decision. Bill chuckled, a deep rumble in his chest that Dipper could almost _feel._ After all, his head was resting on Dipper's lap.

"I'm comfortable with any question, Pine Tree. Nothing to be ashamed of," Bill assured him. Weirdly, his words seemed to reassure Dipper.

"Oh, well...how do you really...feel about me?"

Dipper bit his lip, regretting the question the moment it sputtered out of his mouth. _Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!_ he thought angrily. Now Bill knew that he liked him, and there was no turning back now. He wanted to hit his head against the pine tree nearest to him.

But to his surprise, Bill was completely quiet. No laugh, no smirk, just a frown at the sky.

He got up from Dipper's lap, and Dipper cringed. He fucked up so bad, didn't he?

"Close your eyes, Pine Tree," Bill whispered. Dipper's eyebrows knitted together.

"Why?" he asked quietly.

"Please," Bill begged.

Dipper, still confused as ever, closed his eyes. He heard Bill shifting, and then silence. He wanted to open his eyes, but he promised Bill he would keep them closed. His eyelids fluttered, but he willed them shut. Still no sound.

"Bill, are you-?" Dipper began to ask.

And then soft, but firm lips crashed onto his.

They were so soft, and so sweet. Sweet, but fiery. Like Bill wanted more, and Dipper knew in his heart he wanted it too. It was a lover's kiss, a soft and hungry passion. Bill's arms snaked around Dipper's waist, so he had no way out. Bill, after a ghost of a moment, pressed his lips against his harder, more persistent. _More, more, more_ , Dipper's mind chanted. But he couldn't.

Flickers of memories flashed before his closed, lidded eyes. They were gone the moment Dipper tried to remember it, like trying to fish without a bait. The more he tried to grab, the more that went away. But he knew for sure that he shouldn't, _couldn't_ be kissing Bill Cipher. It was wrong, so fucking wrong, but it just felt so damn _right._

Bill broke away from him to catch their breaths, and that broke the spell.

Dipper's eyes widened, and without meaning to, pushed Bill's chest away. "Don't," Dipper snapped, " _ever_ do that again."

Bill's eyes flickered with hurt and sadness, but they were gone the next moment after, replaced with a cold nonchalance. He was knocked back to the ground with his elbows on the grass, and he got up steadily, wiping his nose with his clean sleeve.

"Sorry," he muttered, "I just..."

Bill shook his head, making a frustrated noise behind his throat. He took a deep breath, then looked at Dipper one last time. "I'll just..." he whispered, turning around. He walked down the hill, leaving Dipper on the blanket by himself.

"I'll see you around, Pine Tree," was the last words Bill said to him before he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you hear that? That's the sound of the people reading this swearing and throwing their devices against the wall for being this close to have them together :3


	11. Bittersweet Silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couple fights, am I right? Just like normal couples, this isn't the worst fight they'd ever get into, just sayin'. But don't worry about that now, just enjoy the slight drama to get them rolling :3.

_"This separation,_  
_time and space between us_  
_For some revelation_  
_You didn't care to discuss_  
_I'd rather be black and blue_  
_Than accept that you withdrew_  
_Just tell me, say anything_  
_Anything hurts less than the quiet."_

**[The Quiet | Troye Sivan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vykVdJDu28A) **

* * *

Bill took a deep breath, tilting his head up to the sky.

Wind whipped his hair around, and he could see why humans loved to go actually go "out". The wind felt nice, like a comforting embrace from the world.

Only if the person who was embracing him wasn't the wind, but Dipper.

_Dipper._

Oh, God. What did he _do?_

Bill's arms tightened around his legs, and he let out a frustrated growl. Up at the sky, constellations of stars were still out. After all, it was currently 2 in the morning, just five hours after...that.

 _That_ kept replaying in his head. And every single time, he kept cringing. He thought for sure that Dipper would kiss back, that they would have their happily ever after right there and Bill could just leave him finally and take over the world. He thought for damn sure that Dipper wouldn't push him away. That he, himself, wouldn't be heartbroken over it because all of this was an act anyway, that Dipper was just a pawn in his game. That Dipper was nothing to him other than something to use and to throw away.

Then, why is it, that tears were streaming down his face?

Why is it, that he felt like he didn't break Dipper's heart, but his own?

Bill took in a shuddering breath. He let go of his legs and looked down at his hands. This human body was making him have _emotions_. He wrinkled his nose. He hated being in his human body with all his heart. Firstly, he needed to use the bathroom at least twice so his abdomen wouldn't hurt, he needed to eat or else his stomach would start growling, and he had to _sleep._ He's a dream demon, he didn't need _sleep!_ Now, right when he thought everything was going according to plan, he started to gain feelings. For that boy, even.

Sure, he was told to fall in love, but he didn't expect _this!_ What human alive would ever want to fall in love?

Bill got up from his spot on the grass, running his hands through his messy blond hair. His eyes glanced around the forest clearing. As if on cue, fireworks exploded in the distance, showering the sky with pretty neon streaks. He scowled. It completely blocked the view of major constellations. Especially the Big Dipper.

Bill screamed out loud in frustration. Dipper, Dipper, _Dipper_ , _Dipper_ , _DIPPER!_ Why is that fucking mortal always on his mind, 24/7?! Why did that boy have to make everything so complicated right when everything was going so well?! Why him, why him, why _him?_

He paced around the forest with his fists by his side, his eyes on the ground. He tried mercilessly to think of ways to confront Dipper and try again, but he couldn't think of any. In fact, he had no intention to talk to the brunette ever again. It made his heart ache in a way he never felt before when he admitted it to himself. But then the depressing feeling vanquished in a blink of an eye, replaced by red-hot anger.

He closed his eyes to get the images away. But they never left, coming back in vivid form. Dipper's laugh, his scream when Bill did something considered "awful", his brown eyes sparkling with amusement when his sister does something Mabel-like, his concentrated face when he tries over and over again to think of solutions, his contented face when he brought Bill's hand to his chest to hear another human's heart beat, the feel of Dipper's lips when he-

"FUCK! _FUCK!"_ Bill screamed.

He pivoted around and punched the closest pine tree to him. His hand didn't feel anything. In fact, it was coated in blue fire. The soles of his feet were starting to smoke, his legs becoming engulfed in the blue fire. The pine tree was punctured right through with a smoking hole.

Bill bit back a bitter laugh.

"You really made this game a pain in my ass, sir," Bill said out loud, dropping his smoking hand to his side. He turned around to look back up the sky. The fireworks cleared, leaving the Big Dipper up and twinkling. Despite himself, Bill had to smile.

"I know. I'm glad I did," the deep voice grunted behind him.

"So, I got my magic back. Let me out of this body," Bill snapped, his eyes still up at the sky. He snapped his fingers to test his theory, and laughed in relief when a squirrel's head was replaced with an acorn nearby.

"No."

"No? You, of all people, should know that breaking a deal can result in very bad things," Bill hummed, snapping his fingers again to bring himself a martini. He sipped the drink.

"I'm not breaking the deal. I'm just suggesting another one," the voice told him with an edge to his voice.

Bill sensed the voice's uneasiness, and clicked his tongue. "I fell in love, I got my heart broken, I learnt my lesson that humans are still terrible creatures- blah blah blah, and now I can take over the world. What else can be better than that?" Bill grinned.

"You cannot take over the world without the formula Stanford Pines created."

Bill's face turned up in disgust. "You play lowly, my friend," Bill growled. His martini disappeared, and Bill cried out in protest.

"And you don't? You used your magic countless times to get that gold, to finish up jobs quicker, manipulated that cashier to get you passes, and killed a man for taking you in that haunted house," the voice snapped.

"That was weak magic. Any demon can use it even if their original power has been taken away. But, now that I have my main power back, I can take over the world, the universe!" Bill laughed humorlessly. "But, you have to ruin it and tell me that I need the formula. You broke the deal," he sniffed.

"I said you _could_ take over the world. I didn't say I would give you the proper things to do it," the voice reminded him.

"What do you want me to do now, sweet cheeks?" Bill clipped bitterly.

"You've successfully fallen in love, I see. Well, not in the sense I wished, but you've fallen deep in the love called Eros to be taught a little lesson. But it's not enough," the voice said. 

"Not enough? I worked all night to plant those dreams into him!" Bill snarled.

"That is not love, Bill Cipher. That is manipulation," the voice snapped, "for now on, Dipper Pines' dreams and mind will be immune to your power. Your job is to make him admit he truly loves you, and I will give you the formula."

"You do realize that I could just choose an easy, drunk girl off the street and charm her enough to make her say she loves me? Or, better yet, wait until Fordsy gets here and I can rip his mind apart to find that formula," Bill told the voice, laughing humorlessly. He's been laughing a lot lately. 

"Which is exactly why I said _he_ needs to admit he loves you. You have chosen him from the start. Also, I presume Ford's memory of the formula went up in flames a long time ago. I made sure of it."

"What?!" Bill screeched, his blue fire flaring up his back, "look, I'll do whatever it takes to get that formula, but I am _not_ looking at Pine Tree ever again. He's- he's not what I originally thought- he isn't as stupid as I supposed he'd be." Bill hated himself for straining his voice. He sounded so damn pathetic.

"Exactly. Love hurts, Cipher. Bare with it," the voice lectured.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, do we have a deal or what?" Bill asked him bitterly.

"I made the deal. All you have to do is say the word and we're done for today," the voice reminded him. Bill grunted.

"You have yourself a deal, wise guy," he grumbled, never once looking behind himself to catch the voice's eye.

"Good. Three years, Cipher. If any mortal sees you using that magic, or you try to manipulate someone again, the deal is off and you'll be back in your bubble prison," the voice growled.

"Yeah, yeah," Bill replied with an eye roll.

Shivers came down Bill's spine as a gust of wind blew away to the night sky.

Bill didn't leave where he was. He was still looking up at the sky. So, all he had to do was make Pine Tree say he loves him, eh? He can do that.

But not now. Never now.

Bill pivoted around, and walked down the trail. Not to the Mystery Shack. He wasn't coming back there until he felt like it. And that may take a very long time until then.

* * *

Dipper cracked his knuckles, his eyes flying over his notepad as he listed off the day's savings.

Though the Mystery Shack was open, no one was coming in. Dipper kept forgetting that it was a Monday, and literally no one came here on that day. He didn't even want to be here. Mabel just forced him here.

Dipper yawned and took off his reading glasses, rubbing his eyes to get the sleep out of them. If Bill was here, he probably would've finished cleaning out the back room already. _Bill._

"Ugh!" Dipper growled, slamming his head to the table. Ever since the Incident two days ago, he literally couldn't stop thinking about Bill. Why didn't he go after Bill? Why did he just watch the guy go like he was setting a balloon free? Why did he spend two days sleeping in an hotel room just to avoid the Mystery Shack?

He sucked in a breath, lifted his head off the counter, and picked up his pencil. The only reason why he was here was because of his sister, who, after hearing he was sleeping in an hotel room, forced him to come here to just work even for a little bit. Currently, she was out picking up some groceries for them. Dipper told her that he only slept in the hotel room so he was close to the forest to do research. She bought his lie, and didn't once mention Bill, thankfully.

Though, she did ask him where Bill went when she came back with Pacifica during the concert. "I lost him," Dipper answered casually with a shrug that day. Mabel and Pacifica waved his statement off, assuming he meant that Bill ran away chasing a butterfly or something. But for Dipper, he meant that he lost Bill for good. That Bill would no longer want to look at him in the eyes, laugh with him, make memories with him, be in the same room with him, _kiss_ him. Dipper gulped back a lump in his throat.

He did equations on his notepad, his eyes half-lidded from sleep. For the last two days, he only got four hours in total. It was because of his guilt and wallowing sadness that kept him up at night. Man, he was pathetic, wasn't he?

Dipper banged a fist on the counter, throwing his hat down on it with a growl. He banged his knee on the counter, pain blossoming over his leg. He choked back a cry, rubbing his knee. The world seriously hated him, huh?

"Yo, Dip-Dop! I came back with your favourite cereal!" Mabel chirped.

The door to the gift shop opened, revealing the bubbly brunette, who closed the door behind her with her heel. She was holding two brown paper-bags of groceries, and Dipper rushed over to help. She waved him off, leading him to the living room. With a hesitant look at the gift shop door, Dipper disappeared inside with his sister.

"Anything funny happened while I was gone?" Mabel asked her brother curiously as she began putting the groceries in the right compartments. Dipper put the beans in the drawers, not looking at his sister in the eyes.

"Eh, nothing much," he admitted with a shrug. Then he thought for a while. "Well, Soos dropped by to say hi and got scared of the half raccoon, half goat thingy," Dipper laughed.

"I told you to throw that away," Mabel teased, elbowing his side.

"Can I put it in your room instead?"

"Dipper!" Mabel scolded, her voice an octave higher. 

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Dipper chuckled. He excused himself from the kitchen to grab his notepad from the counter in the gift shop. Thankfully, no one was there to buy anything. In the next room over, he could hear Wendy and the rookie talking about the main attraction, and smiled to himself. He came back to the kitchen, grabbing a pencil and flipping through the pages of his notepad. He found the grocery list and checked off the things Mabel bought.

"Milk?" he questioned.

"Two percent!" Mabel whooped. He rolled his eyes, and kept going.

"Veggies?"

"To keep you strong and tall, Dip-Dop! Or, at least, make you think you are."

"Three bags of...oats?"

"Oink."

"I'll take that as a yes. Um-"

Dipper scanned through his list, and his frown returned. "All of these items seem like your stuff. Didn't Bill want anything?" he asked as casually as he can. Mabel kept stacking cereal and bags of chips into the pantry, but not once looking at Dipper. Her shoulders were relaxed, and she was smiling to herself as usual. But her smile dropped a little at his statement.

"What do you mean?" she asked in confusion, briefly looking at Dipper.

"Doesn't he always buy lucky charms?" Dipper questioned back with a frown.

Mabel gave him a long, hard look, as if she was trying to make sense of his simple words. She opened her mouth once, then clamped it shut, quirking an eyebrow at Dipper, who raised an eyebrow back in question. "He hasn't been here since we went to the amusement park, Dipper," she mused, turning back to unpacking the groceries with a shake of the head, like she was expecting Dipper to shake it off as well. 

The tip of Dipper's pencil broke.

"W- what?" Dipper sputtered. Mabel stopped unpacking the groceries, turning her head to look at Dipper with wide eyes.

"You mean you don't know where he is?" she asked quietly.

"Why would you think I would know?" Dipper snapped. She flinched, looking just as confused as Dipper was in this situation. 

"Well, you rented an hotel room, and well...I kind of assumed you stayed there with Bill because uh..." Mabel said, her words slow and calculating, a sheepish smile on her face that made Dipper groan. 

"You thought I hooked up with him?!"

"Well, what was I _supposed_ to think?!"

Dipper sighed, rubbing his forehead with his hand, massaging it. His heart started to pound heavily, and panic rose up in him. The stress made him feel nauseous, but thankfully years of experience in high school had prepared him for keeping his vomit down. But that didn't mean he had to get used to the headaches that came with it. "Has- has he talked to you?" Dipper asked her as calmly as he could.

Mabel chewed on her bottom lip, her hands playing with the hem of her tank top. "No," she admitted, "not since the amusement park."

 _"Fuck!"_ Dipper screamed, hitting his knee once more on the kitchen counter.

He ran a hand through his hair freely (his hat was still in the gift shop), pacing around the kitchen floor. His heart pounded heavily in his chest, his paranoid mind thinking the worst of absolutely everything for what had happened to Bill. "This can't be happening, this can't be happening, this can't be _happening,_ " he mumbled under his breath _.  
_

"Dipper," Mabel said quietly.

Dipper looked up to look at his sister. He knew exactly what she saw in his eyes, and she inhaled sharply. "What happened?" she asked in a whisper.

"I-" Dipper began. His voice cracked, and he shook his head. He should tell his sister about this, he really should, but something was telling him something was right. But this was his sister! His twin, for God's sake! Why did he feel as if he shouldn't say anything?

Dipper's vision blackened for a moment, before flicking back into normal view like a dying television. Then, he cried out. The right side of his temple felt like it was smashed by a brick, and his vision darkened once more. 

_"Just one puppet."_

Puppets. The roof top. A play. Forks piercing his arms. Screaming at his sister. The town being run over. Being captured. Mabel almost dying. _Bill._

"Dip? Dip-Dop? Dipping Sauce? Dipper!"

Dipper shook his head, clearing the visions from his mind. As soon as he did, the visions left his mind. He could barely remember what he just saw. "I-" Dipper began again. He gulped down the rise of bile in his throat. "We had a fight," Dipper finally answered.  _We had a fight and now he's gone._ It was stupid to think that, of course it was, but he couldn't help it. His breathing was coming in shorter and shorter, the more he thought about Bill and what could've happened to him. And what could've happened to  _them._

Mabel came over and bear-hugged her brother.

They stood there for a long while, Mabel smoothing out the top of Dipper's hair while he buried his face into her shoulder and closed his eyes. He could hear her heart beating, and he thought back to when he let Bill feel his. And it hurt that much more. "Aw, Dipper," she soothed.

"I hurt him," he mumbled into her shoulder.  _I hurt him and he probably won't ever let me forget it._

"He'll forgive you," Mabel insisted.

"You don't understand," Dipper growled softly.

"Then what happened?" Mabel asked him.

"You won't _get it!"_

Dipper ripped himself away from his sister and made a frustrated noise. "I'll be back in an hour," he clipped.

"Dipper-"

He walked out of the Mystery Shack, bringing nothing with him. Not even his heart.

He kept walking, following no path. He walked, and walked, and walked. The soles of his feet began to ache, but he kept pushing himself.  He tried to walk away from his problems, his life, his sister, his memories, _Bill._ He would walk a million miles on bare feet just to let him know that he was sorry, that he spent restless nights thinking of ways to apologize. Dipper bit back a laugh. Apologies were never enough. He knew that from experience.

A rushing sound filled his ears, and he finally looked up. His feet led him to a river.

He frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. He hasn't been here before. Has he?

Dipper walked towards the river and crouched down. He was surprised to see that it was completely clean, almost transparent. But, he could still see his reflection. He looked like a mess. His eyes were puffy and red, his hair was a mess from running his hands through it too many times, and there were cuts and bruises all over his face. From the fights he picked with himself on the way here, probably.

A glint of black and silver in the river caught his eye.

He glanced at it. It was a cane. Bill's. It felt like centuries ago when he saw that in the same place with him. 

Dipper licked his lips. The cane's end was stuck on a root, floating just above the water. Dipper's eyebrows knitted. He could try and get it, and give it to Bill as an apology gift. It was a pathetic plan, but what choice did he have? Flowers and candy with the tag, 'I'm sorry I pushed you away, I actually want you'?

Dipper rolled up his sleeves and pant legs, slowly coming over to the river. He put one hand on the grass, and dipped himself into the water. He almost came out of the water with a hiss, the water too cold for his liking. It wasn't cold enough to give him hypothermia (maybe if he stayed for a long time), but it was cold enough to make him have the flu for a couple days. _You can do this. Bill would do the same for you,_ he thought to himself.

He took a shuddering breath and waddled into the water. The water deepened, but he guessed he could reach far enough to grab the cane and go. _This is stupid,_ he thought again, _incredibly stupid._

He shook those thoughts away and looked around for a stick. He found one large enough to latch onto the cane and grabbed it. He hissed when he cut his palm on a sharp end of it, but grabbed it again nonetheless. _For Bill,_ he kept telling himself, _he'd do it for me._ And it was just a cane in the middle of a river. Nothing too bad. 

Dipper waddled a little further in, his legs almost buckling from the cold. He shivered, no longer feeling his toes. Dipper reached, using the stick to pull in the cane. He latched onto it, and was about to pull it back-

Something hard and solid thunked against the back of his skull, and his vision blackened.

The last of what he saw was a dark, large, bulky figure disappearing behind a pine tree, their eyes glowing bright red. It seemed like the figure had horns that reminded him of a bull's, but he was already out when he noticed. It was something that could've came out a children's book, but here in Gravity Falls, that was something to be frightened of. 

He opened his eyes, feeling his lungs burn. He sputtered water out of his mouth, feeling water rushing all around him. He bobbed his head up, and saw that he got into the deeper parts of the water. Oh no, no, no, no, no.

Dipper's head came under once more. Water entered his nose, burning his lungs. He tried holding his breath, but couldn't as something smashed into his stomach, forcing him to suck in a breath. More water.

He couldn't breath. He couldn't speak. Something latched onto his ankle, forcing him under. He was going to die, and he couldn't be happier.

He closed his eyes, waiting for all of this to be over. He couldn't even feel his legs as they hit against rocks and sharp sticks, turning the river pink before becoming transparent again. _Just let me die already,_ Dipper thought desperately. He tipped his chin upwards to look up at the afternoon sky. What was the point of staying here when he kept hurting people around him? No one was going to miss him for very long, and no one needed him.

_Mabel._

Dipper's eyes fluttered open in surprise. He could imagine her face and reaction when the police comes to the Mystery Shack to report a dead man that drowned in the river. He imagined how heart-broken she would be, how much Mabel would be affected. How she would think when her other half died because she didn't stop him. How she would spend the rest of her life knowing that she could've saved his life if she could've just _stopped_ him in time.

Dipper tried to rise up from the river, his lungs feeling heavy and burdened. His arms flailed upwards, and he got in a quick breath before going under again. The sound of rushing water entered his ears, pounding his eardrums. He held his breath, turning his head around in the water to find something, _anything_ to help him up. The side of his head hurt and pounded with his heart, and he knew that he'd need stitches after this. Dipper's eyes stung from the water, and panic finally found its way in his body. He kept trying to get his head up over and over again, but the rushing water kept making him go back down. He never took swimming lessons, and only knew the basics from watching Mabel. Mix that in with the fact that he was panicking like crazy, there was a guarantee that he wouldn't make it.

He was going to die.

Suddenly, warm hands latched onto the underside of his arms and pulled out of the water, dragging him back to the surface.

Dipper took a selfish deep gulp of water, sputtering water to the ground after that. He coughed up some blood, and blood from his forehead mixed in with that on the grass. His clothes stuck to his body heavily, making it hard for him to move while it pressed down on him. The person who saved him rubbed his back as he coughed to the grass, over and over again. 

Dipper's throat itched, and bile rose. He gulped it back down, panting. He fell to the grass with one last dry cough, trying to lift his head up to see his savior. His eyes couldn't focus anywhere, and he was briefly afraid that he went blind. Then his vision cleared up, even just for a moment, and he looked up to a scowling, blond haired boy.

"Why is it that you're always getting into so much trouble, Pine Tree?" Bill hissed. Of all people, Dipper had to be saved by  _him_ in the most cliche way. All he had to do was pass out, and everything would act as if it came out of a low budget fairy tale. Except, fairy tales don't have the characters spitting out blood, and their savior just watching in grimaced pain. And fairy tales definitely don't ever let Bill Cipher star as a good person. 

Dipper blinked at him, feeling his head become lightheaded, like his soul was leaving his body. He hit the grass, the garbled noise of Bill's voice filling his stuffed ears. He didn't wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I blame Trump for this boring chapter D:


	12. Stranger in the Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: NSFW THINGS COMING IN THIS CHAPTER, I REPEAT, NSFW THINGS. (But barely really, you'll be fine). It's not full-on smut, if that makes sense, but there will be soon :D. Thanks to my partner in crime for helping me write that part too!

_"You don't have to say I love you to say I love you_  
_Forget all the shooting stars and all the silver moons_  
_We've been making shades of purple out of red and blue_  
_Sickeningly sweet like honey, don't need money_  
_All I need is you."_

**[For Him | Troye Sivan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv8e2oLW0v0) **

* * *

For once ever since he met Bill, Dipper didn't dream of him. Not even once.

He dreamt of winning a chess tournament, Mabel and her friends screaming and congratulating him over and over again, his parents giving him big hugs with tears in their eyes, his Grunkle Stan and Ford flashing him the thumbs up, and his old high school friends chanting his name until it carried on for miles. Not once did he see Bill in his dreams, as he did as usual.

He didn't know whether he liked that or not.

But, as per usual, the dream changed.

He trudged through the mud of the forest, carrying a heavy backpack on his back as he ran, and ran, and ran. His breath curled up in white in front of his face as he bolted down through the pine trees, his breaths coming in and out unevenly. His feet felt like they were being sucked to the ground, and his heart hammered in his chest to the point where his ears were muffled by that one noise. But he didn't stop. He knew he couldn't.

Soft footsteps followed behind him, gaining fast despite Dipper giving everything he had. Dipper pushed himself harder, his feet and legs screaming at him to stop. His mind yelled at him to keep going, and he did.

Chills ran down his spine, and he felt as if someone was breathing down his neck.

The air was knocked out of his lungs, and he was sent flying towards a pine tree.

He smashed his back against it, the tree rattling in disturbance. He fell to soil, the night stars twinkling at him from above while his head spun and pulsed. Dipper groaned, clutching an arm to his side in pain. It throbbed, and blood seeped through his vest.

Someone chuckled a deep, pitying laugh.

Dipper looked up, and saw no one. Out of the corner of his eye, a dark figure with a gold glint coming off of him charged forward and pushed him against the tree.

Dipper couldn't breathe, and tried to claw his way out with his fingernails. But he was losing oxygen fast, and his eyes prickled with tears as he choked. 

"͉̜̬͚̐̀͗̈́̓͠Ḅ̖̠̻̜͕̝̒ͯ͌ͦ̐r̍̐́̈ͫ̋̌ͣ͡͏͍̗̹̪̺̩̗͟i̵̡̭̮͍͍ͨ̿͒̄̆̚͜n̪͈̟ͩ͌ͥͪͬ̂ͤ̆̕g̵̰͋̀͂̉́̚ ̛̝̩̭̻ͤ͆̌́m̠̈́̉͆̌͂͜ę̼̗̞͈̣̳̤̿̈́̒̃͆͊ͥ͗ ̨͎̻͍͉͚̭̻̓̅ͦ͆t̡͔͉ͥ̎̕͞ḧ̠ͫ͠e̘͎͇͎̫̖̫̙ͥ̿̋ ̵͍͉̮̦͖͙̮̈̓̅ͫf̢͚̻͂̂ͬo̴͈̙̜̪̭̦̣͛ͬͦ̈̄ͮ̂́r̳͈̗̼̩̯̉ͦͮ̈ͦ̈́̾̀͢m̜͕̥͖̮̬̬͌ͦ͂ͧͫ͂̚͡ͅù̡ͥ͛ͪ̐͏̢̟̩̭͚̬l̯̻̭̭̑̃͜ä̷̟̜̩̘͈̹̱͓́ͯ̊̄̽͛ͬ͜ͅ,̵̝̮͎̙͑ͪ̀͝ ̨̰͎̭͈͉̱̾b̨̢̺̪̳̠̰͛ͫṏ̟̫̹͈͍̼͔ͥͭͮẏ̛͐͏͍͎̦̻,̗̘̬̻̹̞̿̍ͩͪͯͅ"̨͕͇̽̒ͫͧ͆ͧthe figure hissed. Dipper couldn't see the man, as his vision was blackening at the edges and somehow, the figure kept coming out of view every single time he tried to look straight at it.

"W- what?" Dipper managed to choke out.

The man pressed his arm further into Dipper's throat, making Dipper tilt his head upwards to try and get more oxygen- but it didn't work. Dipper's vision blackened out completely, leaving a gold glint to stay in its wake. His muscles ached, temples throbbing hard to the beat of his drumming heart. The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving Dipper to feel nothing but screaming pain. 

Then the man let go of him, letting him drop to the floor on his knees with a groan. Dipper rubbed his neck, and felt a bruise starting to form around it. 

"̨̤͎͔̫͔̖̃I̵̪͗́̂̓ ̩̩͔̝̏͜ẇ̼̝̳̦̤͙ͅi̭̦̹̞̻ͪ͆̀l̖̣̬͗ͩ͆̃l̞̞̾̿ͯ̂̋̿ͦ́ ͦ͑͂͆͂҉n̙̖̮̹̼̣ͬ̿ͣ̍͜ͅo̬͉̘̗̭͙̞̿ͯ̐̾͞t͕̫͖̫ͥ́̍͑̃ͨ ͇̤ͬͫͬa̱̺ͅs̶̬̻͉̠̱ͩ͒͋̉ͦ͆̚k̭̽ͧ̈̓ͅ ̣͈͇͉̮̻̊̑̂ͤa̳͓̩̻̳̮g̝̜͙̜̍a͇̗͔̼͓͈͍̽̿̈́̈́̏̓i̼̺̙͎͚n̄̆ͧ̅̒́̚,̞̙̮̦͚̟̐̑̂"̹̤͇͈̮͒͟ the man growled, his voice a deadly calm mixed in a with an edge of irritation.

"I- I don't know what you're talking about," Dipper whimpered, keeping his head down.

A kick to the ribs. Dipper could've sworn he felt one crack out of place.

Dipper leaned against the tree with a groan, his arms wrapped around his ribs tightly like it would stop the bleeding. Was he internally bleeding or something? What person, what _creature_ could do that in a single hit?

"̷̼I̭̝̤ͧ̆͑ ̗̩̻̻̩̺̝͒͐͊ͭd̯ͨͩ͗͢o͂̂҉͍ ̵͙͈̮̜̝̩͕ͧͯ̿n̺̠͇̬̙̣̣ͩ͂̽o͉̺̥̥̮͑t͑ͨͤͪ̒̀ ̫͙̪̟̀̏̒lͮ̊̒̅ͧ͞i͔̗͎̍̓ͥ̎k̼̤̯̜͔ͤ̒̈́͘e͙̗̗͕̠̣̱͑̀̋̇͘ ͒̊̔b̻̟̹̝͎͕̒͋ͫ̀͋ͮͦe̯͍̦̮̝̫ͧ̃̔ͫ͋͆ͬi̡̻̯̫̝͕ͅn̵̅ͮģ̘̲͇̮̦̦̮̃̍̊̏ͥͤ̈́ ҉̥̝͉l̮i̠̣͔̩̪͈̗͋͒̌̑ę̱̮̘͕͉̯ͯ̈́̐̆d͍̈̋́̊̆ ͖̞̠̝̼̈́͒t̼͓͍̪͕̳̩͗̾̿̇͗͟o̗̒̊,̻̫͌͐ͨ͌̄̋ ̥̯̮̗̦̦͡b͚͑̅ͧ͂̾̄o͕̤̞̪̣ͪͫ͐͌͒ͣ̕y̯̬̳̝̰̆̇ͫ̏ͣ̈́̒ͅ,̗̣̍̀͂̾͡"̨͎̣̮̺̦ͥͦͨ͛ the dark figure snapped.

He lifted Dipper's head up with a fist in his hair, jerking his head upward. Dipper whimpered, and the figure laughed darkly. "Weak," he spat. Then he threw Dipper's head to the side, forcing Dipper to lay on the cold soil with his cheek pressed against the ground. Dipper felt his backpack slid out from his shoulders, making the contents inside rattle and plop against the ground.

Silence. Then footsteps towards Dipper. The man laughed loudly, a joyful laugh like he just made a joke. "͉̥ͬ̋ͨͅOͮ͑f̖̗̭̳̈́ͥͪ͊ ̺͖̜ͨ͐̀̾͛̇c͖̼͈ͬ̓ͭ͌ͥ̀͌ọ̻̗̭̒u̼̜̖͐̈́̊̀̒ͣr̻̣͈̜̈s̹͚̜̄e̪̓͆̿,̱̖̜"͔̟́̈ͤ͊̌͒the man purred. Dipper felt the backpack leave from behind him, and his mind screamed at him to fight, to get it back. But he felt no fight in his bones, nor flight. He just wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

The backpack unzipped, and Dipper finally had the courage to look up. The man held up a yellowed paper, with the heading, 'Belongs to Stanford Pines; Do not read'. Dipper almost spasmed, his hand shaking. In fear or anger, he couldn't tell. It could easily be both.

Dipper got up from his spot on the soil shakily, standing on his knees and wiping his nose with an arm. He glared up at the man, despite not knowing what he looked like. The man kept disappearing when he looked straight on, but he knew that the monster was there. Just like how he knew where Bill was most of the time. The similarity chilled him, and made him think hard, his head throbbing hard in protest. 

 "̞̼̖̫͠T̝̗̝̖̉͛́̓̌ͭ̚h̞ͨ̑̓ͭ͊͗ͪà̤̰͙͚̬n̩ͪͦ͗͛̽̿ͧk̞̖̗̥̜̖̭̾s͎̗̺͕̄̾̀͌ͩ͐ ̠̽́̌̎f͈̙̹̠̻̯ͮ̓̅͛̓͊͠o̰̲̻̅ͣ̚͞r̴͓̬̖̳͊̄ͨ͗ ̤̒͂͂̏ͨͪ̋͞b̹̎ͬ̆͒̋̒͢r̼͈̖͙̗̻̈̚î̡̻̣͈͔̓ͭ͋̌n̠̘̩͉̍̃ͫͭ͆ͪg̭̬̎̉̃̃i̘ͤ͟n̲͇̻͕̙̘̄ͫ̕ͅg͊ͬ̇ͩͨ҉̫͕͇͈̖ ͇̰͔͇̗̦̯̅̔ͣ́m̛̙̩̪̣̯̘e̿ͬͬ̀͌̈́ ̵̱̦̣͕̦̰̈̎̉̆ẁ̭͍̬̮͈̱͚̐͝h̵͍̗͚̼̋â̻̯̯̻͈̓͠t͇̲̤͍̘͈ͬ̓̉ͅ ̶̯I̢͎̦̥̘̖̺̒̑ͫͫ̏̽ ͖̈̄ͮ̕w̻̳̺̃̐̒̂͊a̗͕̳̥̼̪̰͋̉̃ͫn̥̣̩̺͍̼̅͊t̬̱̞̖͖͓̂̌͋ͣ̆̐̏ͅe̔d̢̯͍̗͔͉͊ͅ,ͬ̓̈́̈́̓́̚͏̪̙̠ ̶ͥ͑b͖̮̿ͭ͊͂ơ̙̗͓͈̞̔̄ỷͧͣ̐͑҉̮̳͉̥̙,͎̙̅̉̕"̶̘̭̼͈͈̩͈the man chuckled darkly, rolling up the document and stuffing it into his backpack.

 "̤ͨ̄͊ͣḐ̓̒͛ͭơ͋̏ͬ̈̆̊͊ ͙̙̬͇̣͒̊ͪ͗̎̚̚͠n̫͚o͉̜̥͍̘̔̓̇ͤ̇̽̔́ͅt̗́͛ ̹̩̉̿̈̔̉̀ḟ̢̳̑̓ͦò̝̫̙̹̈͐ͬr͔̯̠̺̰̳ͧ̿̇g̢̮̖̮͚͈͎̱e̪̥̿ṭ̱͚̞ͧ̉͗̃̊̿̂ ̙̲̱͖̠̞t͚̺͚̙̩͆͒͑ͨͅh̹͙͇̺̺ͫͬ̃̐̽̓ȅ̷̤͈̭̞̩ͪͪ ̙͉̳̒̇̔̅̈ͭo̟͛̊͌ṋ̴e̜͈̲͖͓ ̰͗t̿͊̀͏̙̱̜h̖͓̝̝̪̽̈́ͯ̒̇͘ï̈́̏͏͓͇n͚͕͐̄ͧ̎̇̈́͟g͈̦̖̉̇ ̞̘̟̫̳͎͛͗ͭ͐͌̈́͂͠ẏ̰͖̜̘̺ͧ̚͜ͅo̴̹͎̦̺͉͙ͪṳ̦̮̤̑͛̊̐͠r͉̱͎͐ͤ ͎͚̺̲̥ͬͥ̍ͪ͂͛̇G̬͊̿͐̏̀r̙̝͕ͬͯǔ̡̦̯̦̌̃ͬͨͅn̥͇̩ͥ͊̂͛͂k̴̪̹̦̙̝̠̫̂̈̅l̖̻̻̲ͪ̀ͫͯ̎̊ͦe͋̓̾̋ ̳̪̩̜̃̈́ͣ̾͢ͅt͉̙̉͡ȧ̞̫̰͕̖̜͋̉̌̌ü̮̞̠̟̻̪͔g̷̲̣̼͚͍̍̾ͅḣ̫͇ͧt͈̞͍̐͂ͅ ̣̭̪̬͎̲ͨ̉̂̎ÿ̦̟̮̮̝͙́̋̓͆͑o̧̖͎̰̣̔̃̚u̘̐͋͋̊̓ ͔̼͈̱̭̻ͪͅẃ̲̮̼̱̲̹i̶̟͔̥͈ͅt̫͓̼͔͑͐ͩ̾̍ḣ̩̼̬̐ͭ͊ ͋ͨͤh̘̖̆iͯ͋s̥͉ͬ́ ̵͖̻̊ͭ͌j̴̖͇̺͚̾͛ͫ̚o̞͙̳͙̒̇̿̈́ͭû̥͎ͧ̂͛r̨͔̮̮͔̦͓͗̀̆̐n̙͚̩͌ͫͅaͬlͧ,̫"̵͙̫̭͙ͥ̎ the man suddenly snapped, coming forward to Dipper. He leaned closer to Dipper's face, his hot breath fanning Dipper. Dipper scowled, and was about to hit the guy before three words came out of his mouth.

T̷̡̗̳̘̼̘̮͖̥͇͖̥͚̮͇̗̪͓̞̎͌ͥͩ͋̎ͨ͑͆ͣ̉ͨ͆ͤ̍̐̏̚ͅR̶͚̟̦̱̗̩͚͈̤ͫ͊ͯ̆͊͒̈̔̅ͨ̾ͣ͋͋ͥͦ͑̕͞Ủ̷̧̡̫̗͉͓͙͉͔͙̭͉͈̮̗͈͓̙͌ͮ͟͜ͅS̰̣̪͖̘͍̘̩̺͍̦͎͚̠̼ͯͫͮ̎ͯ̅ͣ̓̓͘͝͡T̶̛̳̰̣͙̥̻͇͓̺̯͔̘̩ͥ́́̔̇̽ͣ̇͛ ̶̴̨̘̲̘̼͚̹͇̻̬̘͔̄̋̾̽̂̑̌ͫ̔ͨͨͪ̈ͯ̍̕N̨̳̦̙̘̗͚̞͈̩̭̗͍̹͖͎̝͈ͫͣ͌ͥ̋ͫ͊̑̄͋̉̋̽ͫ͘͢O̵̩͔̳͊̀ͨͩ͊̊̃ͩ̓͊̓̀̚̕̕ͅ ͎̗͇̩͓̰̫͙̫̙͇͔͇̝̞͈̟̥ͨ̈́͛̄̄͗́͜͠͠O̶̝̗̪̪̤̦͖̯̙͔͈̫̫̹̳͍̝̬̓̋̒̋ͅN̥̰͈̠̯͚̺̮̱͔̏ͮ̏̈ͤͣ̿̅ͫ̋̈͑͂͒̾͠Ę̸̧̗̺͖̹̻̥͓̥̺͎̥͕̺̄̈́͂ͮ͐͐̄̽͒̅̇͋ͫͫ͠

* * *

Dipper woke up to a hard, stone floor, jerking upwards with a yell of surprise. 

Iced, callused hands pushed his chest back down gently.

"And you say _I_ don't take care of my human body," Bill grunted with a sigh, lifting a wet towel to Dipper's face and placing it on his forehead.

Dipper looked towards him in confusion, then surprise. His vision dotted with moving black spots, not allowing him to see for a good moment until it cleared, showing him a grimacing Bill while his heart pounded heavily in his chest, even though physically, he felt calm. How did he get here again?

Oh. Right.

"Where are we?" Dipper asked, his mouth dry. Then he felt a sudden burst from his lungs, and he began to cough up bile to the side of his makeshift bed, which was basically a blue linen blanket on the cold stone floor.

Bill rubbed his back, and Dipper coughed up some more. His lungs began to burn, and he knew that if he kept going, he would throw up some blood. Again. "I got most of the water out of you, but not enough," Bill sighed his voice echoing off the walls. Dipper took a shuddering breath, wiping his mouth with a sleeve. A dry, clean sleeve.

He looked around, and realized that he was in a cave. A dark cave with the opening just not far away, both him and Bill hidden slightly behind a large boulder.

"How-" Dipper sputtered.

"You almost drowned," Bill snapped. Dipper's mouth clamped shut, and he looked at Bill warily.

"What?" he asked in confusion. Bill suddenly got up from crouching next to him and paced around the cave floor with a fist to his mouth. He growled angrily, punching the cave wall. Dipper was slightly impressed to see that Bill didn't care or respond to the pain, as he just moved his fists back to his sides and kept pacing. Dipper almost yelped back when he saw Bill's fists, already bloodied and red from different pacing sessions. 

"You almost drowned," Bill repeated, an airily anger around him, "You almost _drowned_ and you didn't do anything to stop it."

Dipper was quiet, hiking his back up the cold wall to sit upright. He watched Bill silently, not knowing how to respond. He knew perfectly well that what Bill said was true. He wanted to die, and only tried to save himself for Mabel, but ultimately drowned, until Bill came along and saved him. Bill's hands were unclenching and clenching at his sides, and Dipper could see the dark brown calluses and red sores on them to the point he could draw them off memory. He frowned, and wondered what Bill did while he was out. Or what Bill was doing ever since...that.

"I moved that boulder to give you some privacy. You think a gentleman like me would leave you out?" Bill told him, when he saw Dipper looking at his hands in confusion. Dipper gave him an incredulous look, and Bill laughed humorlessly. "Took a while, but I'm glad I did it. It's still out there, anyway. If I had the time, I would've-"

"Out there? What is?" Dipper asked with slight frown playing on his lips.

Bill was suddenly quiet, his pacing becoming less and less frantic, until he finally stopped, his back to Dipper. "Doesn't matter," he snapped after a moment. Dipper flinched, then ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to look casual.

"Bill," Dipper finally said, his voice a little strained, "how did you find me?"

Bill didn't turn around to meet his eyes. He didn't even look like he was breathing. He was just still as a statue. "I heard you yell," he said quietly, his tone off and distant. Dipper rubbed his sore shoulder, grimacing as he popped the muscle. "That was a stupid thing you did out there, Pine Tree," Bill deadpanned after a moment of silence, his voice echoing through the walls of the damp cave. 

"I know," Dipper replied, his voice barely a ghost of a whisper.

"Then why did you do it?" Bill demanded. 

"I-" Dipper began, his voice faltering in his throat. "I wanted to give your cane back. It was an uh, weak attempt for an apology gift," he admitted. Bill still didn't move. Dipper stared at his back, wishing he turned around so he could properly look at him. Bill's white shirt was soaked through, and maybe it was just his imagination, but Dipper could've sworn that his dark-washed jeans were the same ones from the amusement park. Bill's blond hair was messy and stuck around in fifteen separate directions, like he ran his hands through it countless times and pulled out of frustration. 

"I threw that cane away for a reason," Bill finally said. There was nothing in his voice to suggest anything else.

"Because you were frustrated?" Dipper guessed.

"No," Bill answered simply. An air of silence. "I threw it away because it reminded me too much of you."

Dipper brought his eyes to the ground. "I can...leave now, if you want," Dipper whispered to the ground, hating his meek voice so much. For once, can't he act nonchalant like Bill?

"Don't," Bill pleaded, his voice strained and caught. Dipper looked up at him in surprise.

He finally turned around to face Dipper, and Dipper's heart dropped to his stomach. Bill looked hurt, disappointed- guilty even, if Dipper looked hard. Bill's eyes were hollow and sunken, like he didn't sleep in days. His arms hung limp at his side, like for once, he didn't know what to do with them. He reminded Dipper of a kicked puppy.

Dipper, almost as if in a trance, stood up. He immediately felt dizzy, his vision blackening in and out. Hands latched onto his shoulders and forced him to sit back down. "Stop doing that, Pine Tree," Bill hissed, letting go of Dipper's shoulders as if he had the plague. Dipper rubbed a sore spot on his shoulder, and gave Bill an apologetic smile. His right eye felt like someone socked him there, and he had the urge to close it shut from the tense pain.

"I'll leave as soon as I can, don't worry," Dipper assured him, seeing the irritation in Bill's eyes.

Almost as if those words punched Bill straight in between the eyes, Bill gave Dipper an incredulous look. "What? No. I don't care what you want to do, but you're staying here," he said, words coming almost in a jumble. Bill knelt in front of him, almost absentmindedly. 

"You clearly don't want me here. Why keep me?" Dipper snapped.

"You're hurt," Bill shot back. 

"I've had worst. And definitely took care of myself without you," Dipper snarled. Bill's eyes flashed red, temporarily frightening Dipper. It was no secret that Bill could do such a thing with his eyes, something that could be considered normal among the anomalies in Gravity Falls and in the citizens. But the anger in it was what terrified Dipper.

Then his eyes went back to their normal dark colour, but the anger still stood their ground. For some reason or another, Dipper remembered the rhyme he heard from his Grunkles. "Red eyes of anger, as heavy as a dead man's anchor," was the rhyme he grew up with. Grunkle Stan warned his sister over and over of abusive relationships, asking over and over again for her to repeat those words every single time she went on her date, whether it was her first or her one thousandth. And for a moment, Dipper wondered if that could apply to Bill, if he should leave Bill and have this over with. 

Yet the anger disappeared completely a moment later as if Bill heard his thoughts, changing into a desperate, longing look of a man who had nothing left in the world. Bill licked his lips, and he seemed to have lost his words for a temporary moment. His kneel turned into crossed legs, directly in front of Dipper like he wanted to just sit there and talk. The pause in the air was held longer than it was meant to.

"I just didn't want to lose you again," he whispered, Dipper barely catching words.

Dipper held his stare. "I left the Mystery Shack just so I wouldn't face you," Dipper told him quietly.

"I left for the same reason," Bill said, the distaste in his words evident. Dipper didn't know if the distaste was for Bill's own decision, or of the irony of both. He ran a hand through his blond hair, breaking their stares. But Dipper didn't look away from him.

Dipper reached forward, putting a hand on Bill's cheek and forcing the stubborn boy to look at him in the eyes. He caressed his cheek, and Bill subconsciously leaned into it. "I thought you would hate me afterwards," Bill told him, his eyes big and sad, like a puppy's. Dipper gulped down the rise of bile in his throat. He suddenly felt the wash of guilt he felt for the last few days. But this time, it came to him like a rushing river.

He took a trembling breath, then closed his eyes. "Bill, do me a favor," Dipper murmured through closed eyes.

"You need to make a deal with me first," Bill laughed quietly.

"Please?" Dipper begged, opening his eyes to look at Bill.

Bill thought for a while. "Okay." Then he said again, more confidently but disgruntled like he was trying to make up for his word of obedience, "Fine."

"Close your eyes," Dipper instructed.

Bill held his eyes warily. He knew exactly what he was trying to fix. "Pine Tree-" he began hesitantly.

" _Please,_ " Dipper begged once more.

Then Bill closed his eyes. Dipper hesitated, looking at Bill's relaxed face with parted lips. He shouldn't do this. What if Bill changed his mind and stormed out again? What if Bill did something way worst to him than say goodbye and leave? But, he knew he had to return the favor, the thing he should've done when Bill did it to him.

Dipper leaned over and kissed him.

Soft, gentle, like both people were unsure of how to proceed. But the moment they realized that they both wanted it, that they _needed_ it, they leaned into each other, fueling both of their fires. Their lips were brought together like magnets, and none of them wanted to stop. A minute passed by. Two. Maybe even an hour, but Dipper couldn't tell. They were entangled in each other's arms, and though Dipper didn't know how it happened, he was sitting on Bill's lap, Bill cradling his hips, both hands set firm on it and never leaving there. But just once, to move away Dipper's hair and to look into his eyes, before crashing his lips onto his once more.

Dipper was the first one to pull apart. Bill's hands tightened around his hips, then relaxed when he realized that Dipper didn't want to get up. "What is it, Pine Tree?" Bill mumbled, his voice quiet and husky, like he hadn't used it in months. Dipper gulped, moving his arms from around Bill's abdomen to his face, running them down his temples, to his cheeks, to his neck. Bill took a shuddering breath, closing his eyes and leaning against Dipper's touch.

"I'm sorry," Dipper whispered, " _I'm so sorry_."

"Ah, don't be so sorry, Pine Tree," Bill laughed quietly, putting a cold hand underneath Dipper's shirt. Dipper let out a sharp breath, and Bill laughed again. "What's a man without some heartache in their life, huh?" Bill teased, pressing his forehead against Dipper's. When Dipper's eyes flashed with hesitation, Bill kissed him again, lovingly and affectionately.

"But I'm glad that heartbreak happened, because I never would have had you," Bill whispered. 

Dipper felt his heart burn. Like he was so full of love and desire for Bill that it was bursting at the seams. The feeling still scared him, but he held onto it tightly. It was more real than anything he'd ever felt in his entire life. He didn't know how to love, and more than anything, he knew Bill didn't either. But that made everything feel real, sincere,  _better._

Dipper kissed him again, moving his lips ardently. Bill tilted his head slightly further, sighing and melting into his touch. Hands grasped the hair at the nape of Dipper's neck and Bill snaked his arms around his torso. He made a low moan as his tongue entered Dipper's mouth. Their kiss quickly became more desperate, wanting more than just light touches and kisses. 

With their bodies pressed together, his heart pulsed faster and harder, until all he heard was the beat in his ears. Bill's warm hands caressed up and down Dipper's body, and every little touch sent pangs through his chest, stirring a bigger fire right there. Bill's lips were so diligent, so loving against Dipper's, and he responded back in the exact same way. Bill's lips moved to his shoulder, leaving a trail of delicate kisses there and across his collarbone, up his neck, his jaw line. He sucked softly at Dipper's pulse, sending electric little tingles down his spine. His whole body was humming.

Keeping his eyes closed, Dipper felt across his back until he found one of Bill's arms, then moved down to grasp his hand. Dipper guided the breathless boy under his shirt to his chest, where his heart was kept safe, and felt the man's fingers tremble slightly, then press more confidently into Dipper. Dipper trusted Bill with his heart and soul, of everything he was. And Bill kept his fingers there, feeling his strong pulse and breathing softly in sync to the careful beat.

Their eyes met, and Bill's face told him everything. _I won't let anything in this world break your heart if you let me have it, even if it breaks me first._

Warmly, Dipper pressed his lips back against Bill's, slowly removing Bill's hand away from his chest gently. "Then it's all yours," Dipper said hoarsely.

That must've set a fire burning in Bill. 

He leaned towards Dipper and kissed his neck once more, breathing him in like he couldn't have enough. The hand that stayed under Dipper's shirt trembled slightly, then stilled. It began to move up and down Dipper's back, until the hand strayed and went underneath his pants and boxers. He teased Dipper's thigh a little, his touches faint and ghostly on Dipper's skin, as if holding on too tightly would break him. 

"Hmm..." Bill mumbled, running a hand over Dipper's inner thigh. His hand found the waistband of Dipper's pants, slithering under comfortably. He tried to distract Dipper with a gentle kiss to the lips, but Dipper inhaled sharply the moment he felt something cold wrap around his shaft almost tenderly. Bill's brow scrunched together as he stroked Dipper, as if his reaction to Bill's touches were odd.

Dipper moaned softly at the electric buzz it sent through his entire body, then clamped his mouth shut in embarrassment in an instant, cheeks coloring a dark red. Damn it, it wasn't supposed to feel  _that_ good. 

Bill laughed softly, wrapping his one hand around the head and rubbing it with a thumb. "That was a nice sound," he said quietly. 

"I did it on accident," Dipper told him quickly. Bill smirked at him, taking out his hand from underneath his pants to unzip his jeans. Dipper, as if controlled by Bill, got up briefly to take down his pants, plopping back into Bill's lap almost immediately, arms wrapped around Bill's neck. It was like he wasn't even in his own body anymore. God, he was never touched like... _that_ before.  _That,_ being Bill's nimble fingers still stroking him. 

"I need you to do that more on accident, Pine Tree," Bill said, a slight whine to his words, "or else this _thing_ is going to explode."

Dipper's face tingled with the embarrassment. Bill laughed softly at his reaction, playing with his boxers before pulling it down. Dipper's erection broke free, and Bill's laugh faded. Dipper's face reddened even deeper, the tingles becoming more prickly. "Bill, sorry, I-" he stammered, about to get up from the blond boy's lap. But Bill secured him to the spot, almost growling underneath his breath and pulling his face down to Dipper's neck.

Almost as if he realized that he was being selfish, Dipper reached downwards and unzipped Bill's pants. A spell broke over Bill, and he slid them down his legs with help. That left him with no boxers. "You- you didn't tell me-" Dipper stammered. Bill licked his lips, giving Dipper an innocent smile until he leaned over to plant a chaste kiss on Dipper's lips, as if it would assure the other. 

"You practically jumped on me, Pine Tree. I didn't have time or the patience to remind you I wasn't wearing any."

Dipper cleared his throat in embarrassment. He had the sudden thought that Bill probably never did this before, with how much he was shifting and avoiding his eyes. In turn, he didn't either, but Bill just seemed downright _nervous._ Dipper almost laughed. Of course.

Without a second thought, he trailed his hand down Bill's stomach. Maneuvering his way without looking, he ran his fingers up and down Bill's erection teasingly, making him shiver. Dipper took him in a steady grip, rubbing his thumb over the head with little circles before giving a few slow pumps. Bill tilted his head back slightly and let out a strangled, shuddering sigh, the sound filled with desperation and asking for _more, more, more._

 _"Pine Tree..."_ Bill mumbled, his head back and his eyes closed. His voice was quiet but firm, a plea from the heart. Dipper knew exactly what he wanted, and closed his own eyes, leaning his forehead against the trembling boy's.

"I would _never, ever_ force you to do anything you don't want to do," Bill panted, "I need...I need to make sure you..."

Dipper cut him off with a firm kiss, his hands leaving Bill's erection to caress his face. Bill's hands gripped his hips tightly like a vise, before they relaxed, both snaking towards Dipper's thighs. One hand gripped his shaft, the other on his inner thigh. They were a mess, a mess that they both pulled each other into. But Dipper didn't want it to happen any other way. Their hearts burned together, and frankly, they were both okay with that.

Bill suddenly cleared his throat, causing Dipper's eyes to flutter open. Bill looked even more nervous looking at Dipper, and though they were in the near dark, his face was slightly flushed. "Are you okay?" Bill whispered. Dipper barely nodded. "Can- can you-?" Bill whispered. Dipper never saw the quirky boy look so vulnerable at the moment, and he frowned in confusion. Realizing what he wanted, Dipper got up from his lap.

" _Dipper_ -"

Dipper's breath hitched. Bill has never called him that. Never. But his name sounded so _good_ on Bill's tongue. "Say it again," Dipper breathed.

Bill sighed. "Pine Tree-" Bill began, watching as Dipper moved away from his lap. Dipper held onto his shaft, his eyebrows slightly knitted together. Then he looked into Bill's eyes, and saw nothing but love and lust.

"I've never-" Dipper began with a strained voice.

Bill shifted, running a hand through his hair nervously. "I can see that," he said quietly. Not in a taunting tone, like Dipper would expect from him, but instead in an understanding tone that Dipper had never heard from him.

Dipper's eyes became half-lidded, and he kept looking at Bill. Then he put his head down, his lips just barely touching-

"Bro-Bro! Are you in he- oh."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there, Mabel Cockblocking Pines, how do you do.
> 
> Also, Bill is acting pretty nice and sympathetic in this chapter. Huh. He's totally doing it out of the goodness of his heart (Haha jokes on you Bill doesn't even have goodness in him). Ten points to you if you could already tell he's breaking his deal with the manipulation part lol.


	13. A Bright, Shooting Star

_"Way up in the air, you're finally free_  
_And you can stay up there right next to me_  
_All this gravity will try to pull you down_  
_But not this time_  
_When the sun goes down and the lights burn out_  
_Then it's time for you to shine_  
_Brighter than a shooting star_  
_So shine no matter where you are."_

**[Shooting Star | Owl City](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7KMRBoqQUg) **

* * *

"I found a nickel!" Mabel sang.

Dipper and Bill looked up at each other with wide, terrified eyes. _Fuck, fuck, fuck, why now?!_ Dipper screamed at himself. Bill's jaw ticked, but otherwise, he was perfectly still. Dipper's breath caught in his throat, and he gulped down the bile that rose in his throat. Mabel hasn't seen them behind the boulder.

Almost as if a spell was broken between them, Dipper moved away from in front of Bill to lunge for his pants. Bill curled up his feet and grabbed onto the pants next to him, shoving them over his legs in a quick, fluid motion. Dipper crouched and slipped on his dry, clean jeans, crashing against the stone wall almost right after. He looked beside him and saw Bill panting heavily, and realized that he was doing the same. From the adrenaline, the scare, or their almost uh...thing, Dipper couldn't tell.

"What- what do we do?" Dipper asked under his breath. Bill gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. He shook his head vigorously, his eyes straight forward with his face white as a sheet.

"Put your head on my shoulder," he whispered.

"Wh-?"

Bill glanced at him with an irritated look. "Just do as I say," he snarled.

Dipper pursed his lips, but did as he was told. He leaned his head against Bill's strong shoulder hesitantly, and felt Bill tense, then relax. Bill snaked his arm around Dipper's hips, sneakily hiking his pants up to a more appropriate level. "Close your eyes and pretend to sleep," Bill hissed. Dipper didn't argue, and closed his eyes, his arms crossed over his chest as his breathing evened out.

Dipper strained his ears to hear, and heard Mabel's footsteps coming around the boulder, her humming getting louder. His heart began to pound in his chest, and as if Bill felt his tension, squeezed his hips reassuringly.

He heard Mabel gasp.

Pretending as if he just woke up, Dipper shifted uncomfortably and yawned, cracking his eyelids open. Bill's arm around his hips left, so he could stretch his arms. "How's it going, Shooting Star?" Bill mused under his breath, stretching his back like a cat.

Dipper shifted away from him on instinct, scratching an imaginary itch on his cheek. "Oh uh, hi sis. Didn't hear you coming," Dipper lied through his teeth, grinning apologetically.

Mabel's hands were clasped over her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. Then, trembling slightly, she put down her hands and let them swing uselessly at her sides, her jaw slackened. "Were you guys...making out?" she asked, breathless. Dipper had a feeling that if they told her the truth, she would pass out. So, deciding that lying was better than telling the truth, Dipper hesitated for effect and nodded solemnly.

"Yeah, it was kind of an uh, make out and make up kind of thing," Dipper admitted. _More like almost have sex and make up kind of thing,_ Dipper thought.

Bill was quiet, looking between Mabel and Dipper with a bored look. "What? We were horny," Bill finally said with a shrug when Mabel kept staring at them with an open mouth. She laughed out loud, her shoulders relaxing.

"Sorry, I just thought- ugh, I'm such a pervert. I just thought you two had sex or something," she laughed. Bill and Dipper glanced at each other, then grinned at Mabel innocently.

"That quickly? Shooting Star, I met this idiot not even two weeks ago," Bill snorted, elbowing Dipper.

"Hey," Dipper whined.

"Considering you two just made out, I have a feeling you guys will get to home base pretty quickly," Mabel teased.

Dipper got up from his spot on the stone floor, wincing at how sore his butt felt. Bill stood up with him, just right behind. "Sorry you had to see that, Mabel," Dipper apologized. Mabel waved a hand in dismissal.

"Aw, don't apologize," she giggled, "it gives me ideas for fanfiction with Soos!"

"You- what?" Dipper asked, incredulously.

"Nothing, nothing," Mabel said quickly, her face flushed with pink. "C'mon, let's get you out of this dusty ass cave." She reached over and took Dipper's wrist, pulling him out from behind the cave. Dipper cried out in protest, but she just laughed and tugged on his wrist. Quietly, a smirk playing on his lips, Bill followed suit.

"Where are we going?" Dipper asked when Mabel kept tugging him along. The sun got into his eyes, and he squinted. He was just outside the river he almost drowned in, and he would've kicked himself for not seeing the cave from here. He made a mental note to add that to his map. And, looking up at the sun with a little hiss -Mabel snorted at him-, he realized that it was still late afternoon, the sun up and shining. He wasn't out for very long.

"We're going home to watch movies," Mabel announced proudly. Then she made a face. "But uh, no horror movies this time," she told him reassuringly.

"Oh thank God," Bill moaned behind them.

Mabel snorted, and pulled Dipper along more impatiently. "Question," Dipper began. Mabel made a noise behind the back of her throat, and he continued. "How the hell did you find us?" he asked in disbelief.

"Good question, Sir Dipping Sauce!" Mabel chirped, "I was like, 'hmm I wonder where Dipper would've gotten. It's been _hours_!'. Then I realized, oh yeah! He always wandered to the river when we were little, so he must've went there!"

"Wandered to the-? Mabel, that's the first time I went there!" Dipper sputtered.

Mabel thought for a while. She snapped her fingers in recognition. "Oh yeah! I was thinking of something else," she laughed. Bill caught up to them, silently walking beside Dipper. They shared a look, almost of exasperation. 

"Did you eat sugar recently, Shooting Star?" Bill asked in legitimate concern. They both knew how Mabel was like on sugar. Or worse; smile dip.

"The future is in the past!" Mabel shouted, whoops and throwing her hands in the air, "Onwards, Aoshima!"

Dipper bit back a groan. Mabel's sugar hangovers were worst than her alcohol ones. "Smile dip?" Dipper guessed.

"Like one...or seven," Mabel giggled.

"They cancelled that for a reason," Bill huffed, shaking his head.

* * *

"It's hard being a senpai," Mabel sighed.

"You're like, two months older than Pacifica," Dipper pointed out, leaning towards her to look at her pink glittery cellphone.

"What the heck is a _senpai?"_ Bill questioned, puzzled as he poured more red paint on the red circle on the twister floor.

"Keep pouring that paint, German boy," Mabel called, texting like crazy with her eyes glued to the phone. She waved a hand in dismissal. "You would never get it anyway, knowing you."

Bill put a hand over his heart. _"Ang sakit sa puso_ ," he complained.

Dipper frowned, crossing his legs as he uncapped the blue paint. "Is that German?" he whispered to his twin.

She shrugged. "Don't ask me, the only word I know in German is _nein_ ," she told him.

"Nine what?" Bill called.

Dipper sighed through his nose, pouring the last of the blue paint. It seems like more and more everyday that Bill seems less of a German person and more of a maniac. "You do realize that this will take us days to clean out the paint?" Dipper reminded his sister. She waved a hand in dismissal, putting her phone on the old sofa chair.

"Psssh. We can handle it, Bro-Bro. You sound like Mom," she joked. 

"What? I'm just being careful!" he argued.

"Or being a party pooper," Bill snickered.

"Says the guy who didn't want to watch Annabelle because the circles on her cheeks scared him," Dipper deadpanned. Bill pouted, and Mabel laughed. They abandoned the movie idea the moment they opened Netflix, changing their minds to messy twister. Thus, this moment was born.

"Okay so, who wants to go first?" Mabel asked, rubbing her hands together diabolically.

Dipper and Bill looked at each other. "I'll go when you go, Pine Tree," Bill drawled, uncrossing his legs. Mabel looked between the boys with a smile playing on her lips.

"How about you guys play together, and I'll just shout out the colors for you?" she suggested.

"What? That's the most-" Dipper sputtered.

"-wonderful idea ever, Shooting Star! C'mon, let's go, Pine Tree," Bill chirped, standing up from his spot on the carpet.

Dipper grumbled under his breath, knowing perfectly well that both Bill and Mabel would always win against him. Besides, nothing could go wrong, right?

"Dipper, red spot with right hand. Bill, green with right foot!" Mabel chirped. Dipper grumbled once more, crouching down to place a hand on a red spot. Bill planted his right foot on a green corner, looking down at Dipper with twitching lips. Dipper almost stuck his tongue out at him like a little kid. 

Then Mabel called out some more colors, and Dipper had to place his left hand on the yellow, a foot on the yellow, and his right foot on the red. He looked like he was crab-walking.

It was worst for Bill, as he had to spread his feet, crouch down, and put one hand on the red behind Dipper's hand, and the other behind Dipper's hand on yellow. Bill was literally three inches away from Dipper's face and body. They looked, well...

Dipper cleared his throat, knowing perfectly well that his face was red. Mabel looked about ready to laugh, but managed to spin the spinner once more without giggling. "Bill, green spot with right hand," Mabel instructed.

"Are you kidding me?" Bill groaned. They were close enough as it is, and if he leaned forward to place his hand on the furthest green spot, their faces would be close enough to-

Dipper's breath hitched as Bill leaned forward, their breaths fanning each other. Bill tried to tilt his head away from Dipper to give him some room, but his act was in vain. Dipper felt sweat trickle down his back as his arms strained to keep him in the crab-walk position. Bill had it ten times worst. If he fell, they both would fall on each other, in a position they were trying to avoid as much as they can. Bill's forehead was slick with sweat, and his tongue was out slightly in concentration as his arms continued to strain. His hair got to his eyes, and Dipper, instantly regretting the decision, moved it away with one hand. Bill glanced at him in surprise, but Dipper looked away in embarrassment.

"Dipper, use your left foot to get to yellow. Since you're already on one, move just a _little bit_ down," Mabel hummed, incredibly amused by what she was seeing. All she needed now was for her eyes to twinkle like stars to show how happy she really was at the moment. 

Dipper looked down, paling. If he moved down, he would be grinding against Bill's body.

Bill had the same thought, as he was shifting uncomfortably. "Shooting Star, don't you think we should stop?" he asked boredly, his body visibly tensing, "I'm going to burn this game to a crisp in exactly twenty seconds if I don't get out of here right now." Dipper heard the slight distress in his voice, and Mabel must've heard it too. 

"Aw, c'mon! You stop when one person falls," she complained, smiling despite herself.

"Mabel, this isn't fair! You have to have a turn after this!" Dipper whined.

"Hmmm." Mabel pretended to think. She looked up at the sky with a thoughtful look, stroking her invisible beard. "Maybe," she teased.

With a sigh of irritation, Dipper moved his foot down, ultimately forcing his body to press against Bill's. He could feel Bill's thumping heart, but didn't comment, as his heart was pounding with it. "Okay, what now?" Bill asked Mabel, glancing at her to call out the next color.

Dipper looked at his sister when she didn't reply, looking over Bill's shoulder. "What's taking so long?" he called out. He saw Mabel looking at them with an ear-splitting grin, her phone in hand. Then something clicked, and a giggle ensued right after. She took a photo.

"Wh- Mabel! Delete that!" Dipper shouted, the tips of his ears heating up. He should've known she would do this. Goddamn it, he should've known!

Mabel laughed, holding her stomach. Bill, straining his arms, looking over to see Mabel once more. "Why do you have-?" he began. He didn't have time to finish his sentence, as Dipper's diabolical twin sister sprinted out of the room.

"MABEL!" Dipper screamed.

They were left alone in their awkward position with no way out.

"How do we get out of this?" Bill asked him with a grunt.

"If I fall, maybe I can slip out first?" Dipper suggested meekly.

"Can't," Bill deadpanned, "you slip out, I crash to the floor on you."

"How?" Dipper inquired.

"You're keeping my body up, Pine Tree," Bill deadpanned.

Realizing that he was actually grinding against Bill and feeling Bill lean against his body fully, Dipper's face and neck heated up. His mouth dried. "Oh. Oh yeah," Dipper squeaked, looking at anything and everything except for the body pressed against him. This was bad. Really bad.

 _Don't think about the cave. Don't think about Bill. Don't think about what was about to happen. Don't think about Bill's-_ he began. Too late.

Dipper's throat closed up, and he began to panic. Of all places, why did he have to get a boner _now?!_

He felt his pants tighten, and his heart hammered harder and faster in his chest. _Fuck, FUCK, FUCK! Think about Grunkle Stan and his hairy back! Think about that one time in third grade! Think about_ anything _except for Bill!_ he moaned in his mind.

Above him, Bill shifted uneasily. "Damn, Pine Tree," Bill grunted, "you really have to move that wallet of yours out of the way."

Dipper swallowed hard, licking his lips. He tried to respond, but his voice wasn't working. When he got it back, his voice was scratchy and strained. He squirmed underneath Bill, embarrassed. There was literally nothing else that could make this situation worst. 

"Trust me," Dipper said, keeping the strain out of his voice, "that's- that's not my wallet."

Bill's breathing almost stopped completely, and Dipper could feel the boy's heart beat slow down significantly, like his heart just stopped beating. "Oh," Bill said bluntly. Then his eyes widened ever so slightly as he said in a hushed whisper, "Right. Human hormones. Do that. Right."

Dipper bit down on his bottom lip, chewing on it. "We have to get out of here," Dipper told him. Bill barely nodded.

"I can't push myself up," Bill chuckled, his own laugh sounding a little uneasy, "my arms feel like spaghetti. That's- that's what the stringy things are called, right? The ones Shooting Star make?"

Dipper swallowed another lump in his throat, and nodded. Realizing that Bill probably didn't see his nod, he whispered, "Yeah."

A moment passed. Then another. Both of them were sweating, shifting away from each other as best as they can. Dipper's forehead was sticky with sweat, and he couldn't mop it away without lifting a support from underneath him. Bill's neck trailed with sweat, and Dipper watched the droplets with furrowed eyebrows, wondering what they should do.

"Bill," Dipper finally spoke, "I'm going to slide out. If- if it happens, it happens." Jeez, he was making this sound like a life or death situation. In terms of embarrassment, it might as well be. 

Bill didn't respond, his jaw ticking. Then, breathing out heavily through his nose, Bill nodded. Dipper was glad that no one was with them at the moment, as it might seem crazy and foolish to others as it did to him. They were making a big deal out of twister, but who wouldn't in their situation, especially after what happened in that cave just not even three hours ago?

Sucking in his stomach, Dipper ducked his head and crawled out of his spot from underneath Bill cautiously. As his body slid out, he could feel Bill's body trembling underneath him. Then, as soon as more than half of his body was no longer supporting Bill Cipher, Bill crashed to floor, flattening Dipper on his back.

Dipper groaned, blinking the stars out of his eyes. He was face to face with black pupiled eyes, his reflection in them despite the blackness. Bill's warm, minty breath fanned his face. Dipper, despite himself, wondered why Bill's breath smelled like mint. He didn't take breath mints before this, right? Dipper shook out the thought from his mind, scolding himself for thinking things like that.

Bill's eyes never left his, and no one moved. Bill frowned, and lifted his arms off the floor in an attempt to get up. "Right," Bill coughed, clearing his throat. "Uh- sorry 'bout that little uh- interference, Pine Tree." Then Bill grinned down at him, trying to make up for his little flustered episode. Though his smile seemed a little sheepish. "Hopefully it doesn't happen again. Ya know, unless you liked it, but I doubt it, since you look a little frustrated with me, so-"

And, just because he missed them, just because he felt the sudden urge to do it, just because he wanted Bill to know that he forgave him, Dipper kissed him. Just a brief, quick, stolen kiss on the lips. He saw Bill's eyes visibly widen in surprise, and he was more than sure that if they were still keeping up the twister position, Bill would have flattened out on him then and there. 

"Bill. It's okay," Dipper assured him, using his legs to kick himself out of Bill's little bubble space. Bill, almost as if in a trance, got up, rubbing his sore right arm. He wasn't looking at Dipper, but he smiled softly at the ground. When Dipper caught it, Bill's eyes flickered back up at him, his adorable smile changing into one of chagrin. 

"Now," Bill suddenly said, his voice full of mischievousness and joy, "where's Shooting Star?"

Dipper grinned, crossing his arms over his chest despite the aching sores. "There's only one spot in this house she would use to hide," he said, nodding upstairs, "our room."

With smiles at each other, Bill and Dipper raced upstairs, their footsteps coming hard on the wood stairs. They shoved each other playfully, pushing each other to the wall to be the first one to give a noogie to Mabel and possibly or possibly not throw her out of the window. 

Bill was the first one to reach the door, and he opened the door not-so-subtly. "Oh, Shooting Star!" he sang, putting his hands on his hips. His normal attitude was back in place.

Dipper looked over his broad shoulder, and choked back a laugh. "Really. Really, Mabel?" he snorted. Before him, their blankets and pillows were completely gone off the beds, replaced to assemble a messy blanket fort. Taped to the wall was the words, 'Mabel's fort! Go away!'. A silhouette was seen in a flashlight's light from inside the fort, and the shadow looked up from looking at a thick book. A pig's shadow was stationed beside her, the body heaving up and down in a deep sleep.

Bill looked at Mabel's so-called masterpiece with a puzzled look. "What the heck is this?" he asked Dipper quietly, leaning towards him.

"Blanket fort. Mabel and I used to do it all the time," Dipper answered, stepping over a teddy bear on the floor. He crouched down to the blanket's entrance, and opened it. "Mabel, why are you-? _OW_!"

He clutched his stinging eyes. "What was that for?!" he screeched, moving his hands away to repeatedly blink.

"You entered Mabeltown without permission!" she argued, crawling out her blanket fort, clutching a romance novel under an armpit and pepper spray in a hand. Bill crouched down next to them, leaning sideways against the bed frame with a joyful laugh.

"Yeah, Pine Tree. Do you not have respect?" Bill laughed.

"Thanks, Billy!" Mabel chirped.

"Any time, Shooting Star," he smirked, fist bumping with her.

"Dude, I told you not to fist bump with her," Dipper grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest childishly.

"May I enter Mabeltown, Miss Mabelton the Third?" Bill suddenly asked, ignoring Dipper.

"Yes, you may," Mabel allowed, doing her best to curtsy on her knees, if that was even possible. Bill crawled into the blanket fort, Dipper's jaw slackening in response. Dipper leaned backward, feeling almost offended as Bill slithered his way inside, already giggling with Mabel when his body was still halfway through the blankets like they were the best of friends from Kindergarten. 

"Wh- Mabel- you can't- just-" he stuttered.

"I can and I will, Bro-Bro. See ya!" she sang, closing the entrance over Dipper's face, the equivalent of slamming the door in his face.

"Ugh!" Dipper groaned, hiding his face in his hands.

"Whoa! Why is it so big in here?!" Bill asked in awe. 

"I know, right?!" Mabel squealed.

Dipper pouted, staring at the entrance as if Mabel could see through. "I know you're still there, Dipping Sauce," Mabel called from within the fort.

"Well, let me in!" Dipper cried.

"Hmm...what do you think, Sir Bill Bop?" Mabel hummed.

"I say no," Bill chirped.

"What?!" Dipper yelled, incredulous.

"Oh yeah, and I forgot to give you this!" Mabel suddenly gasped. There were some shuffling, then a sound of a hollow box being plopped onto the ground. Dipper folded his arms across his chest grumpily, scowling at the blanketed door. His sister and his boyfriend bonding. Sounds like something that would come out of a movie, he was sure. Wait. Was Bill even his boyfriend? Or...?

"What is it?" Bill asked curiously. 

"It's a present, Bill. Open it!" she laughed. Dipper perked up in sudden attention, curious as to what was happening inside the blanket. The shadows didn't help as it just showed Bill lifting up a small box from the floor with his head slightly tilted to the side. But the more Dipper looked, the more he recognized the shape of the box and the rectangle being held in Bill's hand. 

Bill didn't say a word as he turned the rectangle over and over in his hands like a coin, obviously confused as to what he was supposed to do with it. "What's this black sleek thing supposed to do?" he asked in confusion.

Mabel snorted, taking the new phone from his hands gently and turning the black shadow bright. "It's a phone. I set my name and Dipper's into your contacts, and some songs and games you might like. Just text us at any time if you need anything. Thought you should finally get one," Mabel told him. Once again, Bill was quiet. Dipper rolled his eyes. Of course, Bill had no idea what a phone was and was confused as hell and would probably give it back to Ma-

The shadows on the blanket suddenly shifted, and Bill wrapped his arms around Mabel's shoulders, pulling her close into a bear hug. Dipper's right eye twitched.

"Thanks, Shooting Star," he thanked quietly, patting Mabel once on the back. She did the same, wrenching him away with a laugh. Dipper gritted his teeth. Seriously? Bill had to take away their awkward sibling hug too?!

Then, after a moment while contemplating his diabolical plan to kick Bill out without raising too may questions, Dipper's phone pinged with a new text message. He jumped slightly, and scrambled to check it. He never really got new text messages unless it was from Grunkle Stan or Mabel.

 **Bill Fucking Cipher:** HOW'S OUTSIDE OF MABELTOWN, PINE TREE?!?!?!?!?!

Dipper made a sour face, and he heard laughter coming from inside the tent. "Why did you text in all caps?" Dipper called out sourly.

"Because I think in capitals," Bill deadpanned.

"Oooh, we have a capitalist here, I see," Mabel teased. Bill laughed with her, elbowing her playfully. With a shake of his head, Dipper typed out a new message despite his mind telling him not to.

 **Fucking Bill Cipher:** I'm like five seconds away from deleting you from my contacts, Bill.

 **Fucking Bill Cipher:**...

 **Fucking Bill Cipher:** Wait what the hell

More laughter. Dipper's face flushed red, and he put down his phone. "Did you set my name to 'Fucking Bill Cipher'?!" Dipper asked in disbelief.

"I- I wanted to put it on a sweater but- but-" Mabel stammered, her voice cutting off from how much laughter she was putting in.

"That's it, I'm leaving!" Dipper growled, throwing his hands up in frustration.

He stuffed his phone back into his pockets, jamming his hands into the same pockets. He ducked his head down and left the bedroom, making his way downstairs. He flung open the door to the gift shop, hearing the continuous laughter coming from upstairs. The tips of his ears turned pink, and he left the Mystery Shack to get into his old truck.

As soon as he closed the door to his truck, he pressed his forehead to the steering wheel. Bill and Mabel were bonding together like best friends, and he didn't know if he liked it or hated it.

With a growl of frustration, he slammed his head once more, causing the truck to blare out its horns. He jerked up in surprise, then relaxed. He never grew out of his awkward phase.

The car doors beside him and behind him opened simultaneously, and he scowled. There were only two people who would do that to him.

"What now?" he groaned.

"Thought you needed cheering up, Dipping Sauce," Mabel chirped, tugging her hair. She put on her seat belt, then leaned against the shotgun seat lazily. Behind them, Bill had his seat belt on already and had his head against the window, eyes already closed like he was planning on taking a nap. Dipper would've thought he was asleep already. He looked away from Bill nonetheless.

"I don't need cheering up. I just some time alone," Dipper grumbled, starting the car anyway.

"You had alone time for the last two days. C'mon, Broski, let's do something fun! Just the three of us. No Pacifica, no Candy, no Grenda," Mabel promised. She crossed her heart, and held out her pinky. Dipper stared sideways at her, then sighed in resignation. He hooked pinkies with her, causing his twin to grin happily.

"Carry on, my wayward son!" Mabel hooted.

* * *

"I can't believe you lost us in three point two seconds," Dipper scowled.

"It's not my fault! I forgot to look at the map!" Mabel argued, turning the map around twice before settling on the right way. "Where are we, even?" she asked in confusion.

Dipper rolled his eyes, looking back to the road and squinting. He seriously wished he had his glasses with him right now. The sun glared in his eyes, temporarily blinding him as he cursed under his breath. He blinked it out, looking straight at a pole with the highway number sprawled across it. "Highway 59," he informed her.

She tooted, and ran a finger down some roads on the map. "Ah! There! Well damn," she said, whistling, "we're forty five minutes away from the Mystery Shack."

"Ugh," Dipper groaned, stepping on the gas. They were literally in the middle of nowhere, with no one around and the gas about to finish. They were going to run out anytime soon. "This is just  _great._ " 

"Hey, don't worry, Pine Tree," Bill chirped from the backseat, "at least we got each other."

"We have me, a person with a sweater in the middle of summer, and a blond haired guy who used to wear an eye patch. How is that going to help us?" Dipper snapped.

"Just ask for directions. That's what you guys do, right?" Bill suggested boredly, rolling a stone in between his fingers. He probably found it on the floor.

"Who the hell are we going to _ask?_ There's no one here in a thirty mile radius, and we're about to run out of gas!" Dipper cried out in frustration.

"Wow, calm down there, Dipper," Mabel told him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He shook her off with a scowl, sinking into his driver's seat. He should've never agreed to this. Why did he, anyway? Yeah, he was going crazy.

"Okay, fine, be like that," Mabel sniffed, removing her hand from his shoulder. 

Bill laughed under his breath, and Dipper shot his sister a nasty look. "What do you suppose we do, Mabel?" Dipper grumbled, challenging her. She tapped her chin, looking out the car window with knitted brows. Dipper scoffed, fishing around the glove compartment for his glasses. He felt them, and took them out. Using one hand, he unfolded the hinges and shoved them onto his face. Much better.

"Oh, look!" Mabel cried, rolling down her window to point out of it.

Dipper and Bill both looked to the general direction. Outside, hot air balloons rose in the orange setting sky, all different kinds of colours. Dipper suddenly got the memory of his Grunkle Stan trying to woo the teens of Gravity Falls of making his own hot air balloon, ultimately backfiring as the writing changed to 'I eat kids'. Other than that, he couldn't remember what else happened on that day. He guessed Mabel's ways of getting him to remember stuff were starting to work. 

When he flicked his eyes downwards, he saw a sign for hot air balloon rentals, 175 dollars for two hours. "Seriously?" Dipper groaned.

"Yes!" Mabel cheered, pumping the air with a fist. Bill looked on curiously, his eyebrows shot up high when he realized that people were inside each giant balloon.

Beside them, the amusement park was in full swing, the ferris wheel lit up despite it still being late afternoon. Dipper pawed through his mind, and realized that today was the last day for the amusement park to be here before it was taken down to the next city over.

"Let's go!" Mabel whooped, shaking her brother's arm. Dipper waved her vise-like grip away.

"Alright, alright. Maybe we can find some more gas there," Dipper grumbled grumpily.

"Aw, don't be such a prude, Dipper. Let's go on one!" she complained. He thought about for a while. What was the pain of going on one anyway?

"Okay, fine," he sighed.

They drove closer to the hot air balloon sight and parked in the grass, all three of them getting out of the car in their own style. Dipper got out grumpily, Mabel shot out of the car like a rocket, and Bill casually came out with his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the car. He smirked, looking up at the orange-kissed sky. "You humans are seriously weird. But I like it," he chuckled.

Mabel forced the two of them to come nearer to the sight, coming towards a thin guy in a white stetson hat. "Hello there!" Mabel said happily, waving a hand energetically to the man in greeting. Dipper smiled weakly, and Bill nodded his head stiffly. Dipper made a mental note to have the guy learn how to be more social and friendly the next chance he got. 

"Why, hello there. What brings the three of you here?" the man asked in surprise, turning around from talking into his broad, large walkie-talkie. He stuffed back into his coat, standing before them proudly.

"Actually, we were wondering if you could lend us a hot air balloon for the afternoon," Mabel announced proudly. She really was being confident today.

The man tapped his chin in concentration. "Hmm...are you sure you don't want two? We have a discount to have a couple go alone," he said, looking between Mabel and Bill with a small smile.

Dipper's fists clenched to his side, and he hid them by crossing his chest. Mabel and Bill didn't seem to mind the misinterpretation, both of them looking at each other then laughing out loud. "Oh no. You got it all wrong, Stetson Hat. I'm just here to tag along with these twins," Bill corrected, jabbing a thumb behind him to Dipper and another to Mabel. Dipper didn't know how to feel about his statement, and how he ignored saying "here with my boyfriend". Ice cubes felt like they were being slipped down his spine as he realized something odd. What was he, exactly, to Bill?

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't realize! Of course. I'll have a hot air balloon ready for the three of you A-S-A-P. Do you know how to set one up?" the man in charge asked, a little flustered.

"Our Grunkle Stan taught us. We know," Dipper and Mabel said at the same time. They punched each others' shoulders.

"Jinx. Double jinx. Triple jinx! Hey! Stop copying me!" they shouted at each other. Bill chuckled at their antics, and the man laughed.

"That will be one hundred seventy five," he finally said. Without a word, Mabel handed it over. She was prepared, as always.

"So...how does those things work, anyway?" Bill asked, squinting up at the sky.

"They use hot air to keep those balloons up. Depending on the size of the basket, you can fit many people in a single one. They're perfectly safe!" Mabel explained cheerily. Then she looked up at how high the hot air balloons were, and her face paled. "On second thought..." she began. She belched, then put a hand over her mouth to keep it in. "...you two go together. I'm going to...get some gas for the car..." she excused herself, bolting away.

Dipper rolled his eyes. Typical of Mabel to never know what she was getting into until it was too late. "So, I guess we're going up there alone, Pine Tree," Bill purred, glancing at him with a knowing gaze.

Dipper cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. "Y- yeah. Let's go see if our balloon is ready to fly," he stammered, scooting away from Bill.

They walked towards the deflated hot air balloon, which was currently being inflated by some large containers of air. The man they saw before waved them over. "It's just about ready, boys!" he shouted over the sound of the hot air balloon being inflated. "Where's the girl?" he asked them, craning his neck to look around as if Mabel would suddenly appeared.

"She just changed her mind. She's letting us go up alone," Dipper explained loudly, trying to overcome the volume of the inflation.

Then, a sudden burst of fire came from the inside of the balloon. 

Bill jumped, moving just an inch closer to Dipper as a reflex. Dipper would've laughed, if he wasn't surprised by the burst of fire and noise too. Plus, he's been inflating hot air balloons for years for his Grunkle Stan and Soos for the Mystery Shack. "Well, change of plan, boys. We inflated it for you," the man laughed, patting the basket.

After a moment, both Bill and Dipper piled into the small basket, both of them snugly close to each other. The man explained the basics to them, despite Dipper's reassurance that he did this before. He showed them what to pull or twist when they need to get down, what string _not_ to pull, and told them to have fun and not to rattle the basket too much.

Then they were up in the air.

The moment they floated up into the air, a little wobbly, Bill latched onto the basket with tight fingers, his knuckles and face completely white. Dipper leaned against the basket and took pictures on his phone of the sunset and down below, glancing at Bill in curiosity. "Are you scared of heights?" Dipper asked in surprise.

"Sort of," Bill admitted, his voice croaky, "I just- got surprised by how high we are, that's all. I haven't been up this high up in the air in a long, long time."

Dipper bit back a laugh. He wrapped his fingers around a knob of a gas tank, and Bill looked at him curiously. "This isn't the highest it can go, Bill," Dipper said, turning the knob slightly and bursting out some fire. Bill's jaw tensed up, and his arms were straight as a board as he kept his fingers on the basket like a lifeline. They shot up into the air ever so slowly, their stomachs rising up their throats and their hair whipping around in the late afternoon air. The sun was just about to set, turning the sky red, orange, and pink.

"Calm down, Bill," Dipper soothed. "You're not going to fall. I won't let you."

Bill smiled weakly at him, blinking his eyes slowly at the ground below. Then his bottom lip quivered, and he gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. For a man who seemed as confident as Grunkle Stan was when he was selling some overpriced gimmicks to people, Bill seemed awfully scared now. After having to live with that fear from Mabel for years, he already knew why. They were so vulnerable up here. One push was all it took for them to fall off and die, and Bill seemed like the type of guy who loved feeling powerful beyond vulnerability. 

"You know, if you don't want to be scared shitless, all you have to do is look up, not down. Makes you feel superior for a while, you know, knowing that you're up above most people," Dipper said, his voice faltering in his throat.

Dipper thought that Bill was going to scoff and do the complete opposite, being the knucklehead he was, but he surprised Dipper by looking up as he was told. Bill's tensed face relaxed almost immediately, and his vise-like grip on the basket loosened up. Dipper looked up with him, and took a deep breath. He forgot how it was like to be up here, to know how beautiful the world was and how amazing it felt to have the wind tickle the back of your neck like a caress. It was calming. 

"You know," Bill whispered, "if anyone else was up here with me, they'd be teasing me and pushing my head to the ground, telling me to suck it up."

"Then whoever those are, they're jerks," Dipper replied simply, "even the most powerful beings in the world has their fears and flaws. And I know that for a fact."

Out of the corner of his eye, Dipper saw Bill smile softly at the sky, his arms folded over his chest confidently. "One holographic universe, nine small planets, two hundred four even smaller countries, eight hundred nine inhabitable and habitable islands, seven deep seas, and I had the privilege to meet you," Bill chuckled, "my little Pine Tree."

Dipper's ears felt hot to the touch, and he buried his neck in his shoulders. His heart felt like it was on fire, a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time until they did _that_ in the cave.

Suddenly, their balloon was going down.

Bill looked at Dipper in disbelief, then had the courage to look down. He immediately regretted it, and went to plan B to look at Dipper, who had one hand tight around the knob. "We were barely up here for a couple minutes, Pine Tree. What are you doing?" Bill hissed.

Dipper looked to his right, where the amusement park was. And, most specifically, looked at the ferris wheel.

"I made a promise to you, to let you make memories on the ferris wheel. It's closing in a few hours, and I'm making it happen," Dipper told him boldly.

Bill's lips twitched into a large, happy grin. A grin that brought a smile to Dipper's own lips.

* * *

 ****"Next," the operator of the ferris wheel said boredly.

Dipper and Bill surged forward, Bill barely containing his excitement as he was bouncing up and down on his feet like a little boy. Dipper wanted to laugh, but knew how excited Bill was to finally be here. They slid into the compartment, and the operator closed the door on them, the ferris wheel finally coming back into full swing. The type of ferris wheel they were on were the room-like ones, the ones that was not just a seat and a bar over it, but a compartment like a small room. The windows were Plexiglas, and the inside was air-conditioned. It was like a Ferris Wheel 2.0 if Dipper was being honest. 

Bill sat on the opposite of Dipper, his legs swinging back and forth like a little kid. He looked out the window with wide, awed eyes, the town lit up and beautiful before them. It took them hours to get here, and just in time too, as the amusement park was closing in an hour. The sun set over an hour ago, casting the town to get into night mode, the buildings lit up and the amusement park bright and colorful. It looked almost fake down there, with how many lights were lit and how shadows gave off bold lines of the city.

"Happy now?" Dipper questioned, leaning against his seat.

Their cart shifted a little, but Bill didn't seem to care. He nodded his head excitedly, his eyes still out the window. Dipper bit back a laugh, loving how Bill seemed more like a little kid now than he ever was. Bill's eyes glanced around everywhere out of the ferris wheel, like he was drinking in Gravity Falls. After all, the ferris wheel spot was famous for letting all of Gravity Falls to be shown. Dipper wondered why he was so interested in looking at all of the town.

Dipper felt his back pocket buzz, and pulled out his phone. It was Mabel, asking him if they were in the ferris wheel already. He told her a while ago, and she didn't seem to mind, even pushing him and Bill to the amusement park and claiming that it would help them make up, even though they clearly did a while ago. He texted out a short reply, then slipped his phone back into his pocket.

Bill looked at him with a small smile, much to Dipper's confusion.

"Can I...help you?" Dipper asked, raising an eyebrow just slightly.

"Of course you can, Pine Tree," Bill purred, his nickname only for Dipper like sweets on his tongue. This confused Dipper even more, and he gestured for Bill to continue.

Bill's lips twitched into a smirk, and Dipper shifted uncomfortable. Bill beckoned him to lean closer. Dipper, his eyebrows furrowed, leaned towards him. "What?" he whispered, wondering if Bill wanted to tell him a secret. Bill leaned forward, and his minty breath fanned Dipper's face. Bill gripped his chin softly, looking into his brown eyes with a hungry look, something a beast would wear before consuming their prey. Dipper licked his lips subconsciously, and Bill glanced down at his lips.

Then, Bill kissed him.

The noise that filled Dipper's ears disappeared at that moment, and he was no longer sitting in a small, ferris wheel compartment underneath a loud carnival. He was with Bill, kissing Bill, touching Bill. Their lips molded together like perfect puzzle pieces, and Bill even took it far enough to bite down softly on Dipper's lower lip to cause soft tingles down his body in pleasure. 

Dipper bit back his soft moan, and felt Bill's arms snake around his hips. Without a second thought, he left his seat from across Bill and plopped onto his lap, causing the ferris wheel to tip slightly at both of their weights, but then stilled. Bill laughed softly at his eagerness, his hands firmly pressed on Dipper's hips. Dipper's chest was glowing warmly, feeling the happiest he ever was with Bill, and Bill alone. 

Bill stopped the kiss to press his forehead against Dipper's, their breaths mixing in together until not one of them could tell which breath or heartbeat was whose. Bill gingerly left one hand from Dipper's hips to brush Dipper's bangs away when they pulled apart, looking at his birthmark curiously. On most occasions, Dipper would've made him stop staring and moved his bangs back into place. He wasn't even comfortable with Mabel staring at it. The birthmark was part of who he was, and he was even nic **k** nam **e** d after it, but it didn't mean he had to like it. But, he didn't stop Bill.

Bill's e **y** es flickered around to the different spots on his forehead, making a sound of satisfaction from the back of h **is** throat. Dipper stared at his face, looking at everything on him to drink him in. His smirking lips, his cute upturned nose, his slightly furrowed brows, his _everything._ Dipper couldn't have enough.

"You need to show that birthmark of your **s** more often, Pine Tree," Bill said, **h** is eyes still **o** n Dipper's f **o** rehead.

"I don' **t** l **i** ke it," Dipper muttered childishly, hands playi **ng** with Bill' **s** hair.

"But I do. And probably everyone else. I don't understand why you ha **t** e it so much. It's p **a** rt of who you are. You can't change that," Bill told him, moving his eyes away from Dipper's birthma **r** k to his eyes. He sounded a lot like a scolding parent, something that Dipper was greatly known for, according to Mabel. 

"Can I please not be lectured right now?" Dipper groaned, leaning his forehead against Bill. Bill chuckled, a deep, amused chuckle from within his chest. It was so damn different from Bill's maniac laughter, that it was hard to believe that this was the same guy who he got annoyed with from the very first day. The same guy who danced with him and turned him upside down. The same guy who he wished left for good. The same guy who became from a smirking idiot with no sense of control to a smirking idiot who was learning how to love, to live.

Bill buried his face in Dipper's neck and left trails of kisses there, up and down. He nibbled on Dipper's ear lobe, causing Dipper to chew on his bottom lip to try and not let out a moan of pleasure. Dipper's eyes flickered out the window, and saw that they were at the very top.

"Don't- don't you want to see the city instead of doing this?" Dipper panted.

"No. No, of course not. I've seen enough, and I'm extremely grateful of that, Pine Tree," Bill breathed into his neck, causing shivers to come up and down Dipper's spine, "I want to be with _you_ and only you."

Bill lifted his head up from his neck and kissed him once more. Fiercer, hungrier, like he couldn't have enough. Dipper's eyes drooped closed, and he pressed closer to Bill's body. Their noses brushed against each other, causing Bill to tilt his head to the side and sliding his tongue into Dipper's mouth for more. This time, Dipper let out a soft moan, just to fuck around and because he really needed to let that sound out.

One hand was pressed against the back of Dipper's head, so Dipper couldn't pull back even if he tried. The other hand was on Dipper's lower back, rubbing circles there comfortingly. Dipper's arms were around Bill's neck, his hands playing with Bill's soft blond hair. 

A flash of memories went through Dipper's closed eyes.

The words, _do not summon at all costs!_ flashed, then familiar maniac laughter filled his ears. A hollow sound, like it was coming from far away. Mabel becoming trapped in a bubble after he betrayed her. Ford becoming encased in gold. Being handed over as food to demons. His friends turned to stone for a sick throne. Over four days of total hell because of-

Dipper's eyes fluttered opened, and pulled back in surprise.

The flashes left his brain, swimming away like frightened fish. He was panting, not just from their make out, but because of those...memories. _Memories._ Did that actually happen or did he just need more sleep? Did...his sister almost die because of a person he knew, but couldn't remember at the moment?

"What's wrong, Pine Tree?" Bill asked in concern, caressing Dipper's cheek softly. Dipper gulped down the bile that rose in his throat, then shook his head.

"Nothing...nothing. Just- a little tired," he mumbled under his breath, pressing his forehead against Bill's. He closed his eyes, and took a shuddering breath. Bill didn't reply, letting him take his time while the ferris wheel slowly descended down. He played with Dipper's hair, quiet.

"Bill," Dipper began, "what...what am I to you?"

Bill once again didn't reply. He stopped playing with Dipper's hair, dropping his hand to the plastic seat beneath them. Dipper opened his eyes and leaned away from Bill, watching him. Bill's face was content, but somehow tense, like he was deep in thought of ways to respond to that. Dipper's throat closed up, and he felt a wild panic in his stomach. Of course. Of course he meant nothing to Bill. Maybe Bill was a fuckboy and Dipper was just another pleasure for him. Maybe Bill would leave him the moment he got bored, and Dipper would have to spend his entire life knowing that he was tricked _again_ by a person who he thought liked him.

Bill pressed his lips against Dipper's, his lips just barely brushing against his. It was a ghost of a kiss, before he deepened it for a moment. Like a reassuring squeeze of a hand. But better. Especially coming from him. 

"I'm yours, and you are mine," Bill whispered, tilting Dipper's chin to look at him straight in the eyes. "You are _only_ mine, and no one else's."

Out the window, a shooting star streaked across the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hksvh, xqkzh, toddv ljdjjwhh  
> qjecu uzk avpkym sw pkf bnap zcorflp exn xwefz?  
> ifln mhxodhl dc tiutdp,  
> tkxl hykyac yb yulhb,  
> keu ee wxzo,  
> dhjdyvn lvczn dhjdyvn.  
> fin odh qdbv,  
> lop jqz xooz pzia,  
> fin tkxl mswv wyt hjq pcbrk xae jqz gqcao.  
> drxpb, vvxhf, lezka fdbowefz  
> sk zoy'j hjqu zveck  
> eq ewgu ky fogk dti qzwun dx r mwfbc.


	14. Trust the Trail

_"I keep craving, craving, you don't know it but it's true_  
_Can't get my mouth to say the words they want to say to you_  
_This is typical of love_  
_Can't wait anymore, I won't wait, I need to tell you how I feel when I see us together forever_  
_In my dreams you're with me_  
_We'll be everything I want us to be_  
_And from there, who knows, maybe this will be the night that we kiss for the first time_  
_Or is that just me and my imagination?"_

**[Imagination | Shawn Mendes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTvJWKu9bMs) **

* * *

Dipper woke up to sloppy kiss on the cheek.

He cracked open an eye, expecting Bill, despite himself. But instead, the culprit was Mabel's old pig, Waddles.

"Wh-? _Waddles!_ Get off me!" Dipper whined, pushing the pig away from his chest. Over the years, the pig grew to three times its original size, and it became harder to carry the pig around for baths or to just get it out somewhere. With a grunt, Dipper successfully pushed the pig off the bed, the pig oinking happily. This became ritual nowadays. If Dipper didn't wake up by the time Mabel was, Mabel sent Pioneer Waddles to the case.

Waddles bounded away to a laughing Mabel, who leaned against his bedroom frame. Or, their bedroom frame. Despite them being eighteen, they always slept in the same room as each other when one was having trouble sleeping. That was the reason why an empty bed was propped parallel to his bed. And, realizing with a mental facepalm to himself, would've meant that Bill could've slept there instead of _with_ him on his. Too late to back up now. He kind of liked Bill being with him.

They weren't at that cuddling stage yet, despite the two make out incidents on the same day yesterday. But...you know. He couldn't complain just yet. 

"Did you open the Mystery Shack?" Dipper asked groggily, scratching an itch on his face with a yawn.

"Yeah. The Rookie and Wendy are like, powering up the place," Mabel snorted, gesturing for Dipper to get up and dress. To prove her point, she turned around, her back to him. With a grumble, Dipper got up, almost tripped on his strewn around socks, and walked over to his drawer. He changed out of his pajamas to long khakis and a white shirt, not feeling up to a flannel and jeans- that took way too much work for him. He plopped onto his bed, slipped on some white cotton socks, and slipped his feet into his shoes.

"Is Wendy and the Rookie a _thing_ or...?" Dipper asked curiously, throwing his pajamas into a corner. He never met the new employee, just stories about him from Wendy and Mabel. According to them, he was probably the hardest worker the Mystery Shack has ever gotten ever since Soos, and that was saying a lot. He wanted to meet this guy.

"Nah. Wendy's three years older than him. He's around our age, actually. His birthday is next month, just two weeks before ours," Mabel said nonchalantly. Dipper snorted.

Mabel, after Dipper calling out to her that he was decent, turned around to face her twin with a grin plastered on his face. "We _have_ to give that guy a party," she told him.

"For his birthday?" Dipper asked in confusion.

"Why not? He could challenge Soos with how hard he works here! Hell, he stayed for an extra three hours because Wendy wanted to go with her friends to the mall for a while. He wasn't even mad!" Mabel exclaimed. Dipper admitted to himself that he was already impressed by this mystery worker. He kind of felt bad that he hasn't even seen the guy before, might as well his name.

"Well, alright," Dipper said with a sigh, "but uh, where's Bill?"

"It's always Bill, Bill, Bill," Mabel complained. Dipper raised an eyebrow at her, and she waved a hand in dismissal to her complaint. "He's touring some folks for the Mystery Tour. He's actually pretty good," Mabel gushed. Dipper laughed at his twin's slight bipolar-ness about Bill, looking around his messy room for his hat. He found it on the ground and picked it up, shoving it onto his head. Slowly, but surely, he was getting less attached to the hat. He didn't even wear the hat all day yesterday, and he hadn't missed it once. As long as he had his glasses while he read, he was fine.

Elbowing Mabel when he passed her, Dipper made his way downstairs. He grabbed an apple from the table (he didn't feel like eating breakfast), and entered the gift shop, Mabel in tow.

Wendy was the first one to see him, waving at him in greeting. She went back to work to looking back at magazines while she managed the cash register, the gift shop almost bare. To the opposite wall, a boy with black hair with a quiff, green jade eyes, and a lean, strong, but slightly slim body stacked snow globes on the shelf. He was balancing his weight on an old ladder, his tongue out at his side like how Bill would have it.

When he saw them, he placed down the last snow globe, his ladder almost toppling down from his weight. Dipper raced forward, holding the ladder steady with his hands. He strained his arms, and the ladder stilled. He heard Mabel squeak behind them in surprise, and Dipper let out a loosened sigh.

The boy came down the ladder with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Boss. I wasn't expecting you guys to be here," he apologized.

"Oh no, don't apologize. It happens. And don't call me Boss. Just call me Dipper," Dipper told him kindly. Mabel sidled up beside him, waving a hand to the Rookie in greeting.

"Dipper," the man said, testing the name out on his tongue with a thoughtful look, "is that a nickname or...?"

"Nickname," Dipper and Mabel said at the same time. Mabel elbowed him.

"Whoa, neat! 'Wish I had a nickname. I'm stuck with Damon," the Rookie laughed, holding out his hand.

Dipper shook his hand firmly, his hands soft and warm, so different from Bill's firm, cold handshake.

"Nah, I think Damon is pretty cool name. I heard you might challenge ol' Soos Ramirez as being the hardest worker of the Mystery Shack," Dipper commented. Damon's face flushed with embarrassment.

"Oh no, I don't think I could compete with him. He's like a legend around here!" Damon exclaimed modestly.

"Oh, don't be so modest, Damon. Look at you, you organized all of our Grunkle Stan's files about toenails!" Mabel snorted, gesturing to the file cabinet next to the cash register. Wendy pounded a hand on top of the file cabinet, and flashed a thumbs up.

"It's true," Wendy chirped, "all colour coded and alphabetically by disease." Dipper cringed.

"Say, what's your last name anyway?" Dipper asked in curiosity. Damon rubbed the back of his neck shyly, and Mabel elbowed him once more. Dipper shot her a look, and she stared back with eyes that said _Damon is literally a cinnamon roll, don't ruin my chances with him._ Dipper raised an eyebrow at her, and she rolled her eyes. _Yeah, yeah, I have Pacifica, but he's a hunk! It's not cheating, right? If I just use him as eye candy?_ Mabel said through her looks. Thank God for twin telepathy.

"Oh, it's actually-" Damon began.

"Hey, Pine Tree! How do you feel about hiking?" Bill sang, opening the door to the gift shop with three bags of camping bags. One was plain yellow, the other was blue with a pine tree symbol, and the other was pink and purple with a shooting star drawn on the front. Dipper, on closer inspection while he squinted (he left his glasses upstairs), saw that the paint for the pine tree and shooting star were still drying.

"Hiking? Where did you get that ide-" Dipper began in confusion.

"No questions. Let's go! You come along too, Shooting Star," Bill said impatiently, walking out of the door and disappearing.

Dipper and Mabel shared a look. "Why not? We don't take our shift for the Mystery Shack until four. Mr. Perfect here extended his work time for free," Mabel said, pointing at a finger at a sheepish Damon.

"There's nothing better to do at my house," Damon explained.

"Eh, that explains it," Dipper said with a shrug. He turned his attention to his attentive sister. "But, hiking? Mabel, are you sure?" Dipper inquired.

"Of course I am, Dipping Sauce! Besides, we need to get you to the outdoors more often," she said, poking his skinny legs with the end of a broom. Dipper waved her broom off with a scowl.

"Okay, okay. We go for a couple hours, and then we come back," Dipper promised.

"Hell yeah!" Mabel whooped, sprinting out of the gift shop.

Dipper and Damon shared a look. "Is she always like this?" Damon asked cautiously. Dipper sighed.

"More times than not," he grumbled.

He shuffled his feet out of the gift shop, finding Mabel and Bill putting on their corresponding bags. Bill handed him his, and Dipper slipped it on. He loved the familiar feel of the camping bag on his shoulders, and instantly felt better, despite not having his morning coffee yet. "Once again," Dipper sighed, "how did you get the idea of _hiking?"_

Bill tapped his chin like he was deep in thought. "Well, I finished with the tours early, and almost everyone came out of there safely-" Dipper shot him a glare, "-and I got bored and looked out of the window. Then I saw the pine trees and I thought, 'Hey, maybe I can go hiking with Pine Tree through the pine trees!' hahahaha!" Bill laughed at his own joke, before continuing with his story. "Then I thought, 'It wouldn't be fair to Shooting Star, so I'll bring her along too'. Then, I made this bags using the paint and bags from the garbage can," Bill finished. Dipper pulled out his bag and sniffed it. He pulled back with a retch.

"Why, exactly, are we hiking?" Dipper inquired.

"You're awfully persistent, Pine Tree!" Bill said, pulling out a map from his bag. He unfolded it, then turned it around once, then twice, before settling to the right way. "You needed help with that map of yours, right? Thought I could show you the hidden places around Gravity Falls to thank you for that ferris wheel ride," Bill continued happily. It was like this guy was on smile dip or something. 

Dipper's eyebrows furrowed, and he cried out in surprise. He stomped forward and ripped the map out of Bill's hands. "Where the hell did you find this?!" Dipper demanded, stuffing the map into his backpack that smelled of fish.

"Your room, obviously. You sleep for so long, Pine Tree. It gives me time to look around the mess you call your room," Bill snorted.

"You mean you _snooped_ around my room," Dipper snapped.

"Aw, don't be so butt-hurt, Sir Dipping Sauce. He just wants to say thank you. Isn't that right, Bill Bop?" Mabel asked, patting Dipper's back reassuringly. Bill smirked, then crossed his arms over his chest before bobbing his head once. "See?" Mabel chirped.

Dipper grumbled. "Okay, so where do we go that you think I haven't seen before, Bill?" Dipper challenged. Bill's smirk widened.

"Have you guys ever heard of the Monster's Den of Gravity Falls?" Bill grinned.

* * *

Dipper swatted his arm with a hand, grimacing when a mosquito stuck to it.

"Are you sure we're going to the right direction?" Dipper asked, unsure of Bill's directions.

"Of course, Pine Tree! Why would you ask _that?_ " Bill laughed, moving another branch out of the way. It hit Dipper right across the face, and he shook the branch out of his face with a scowl. He glanced around where they were, and heaved another big sigh. Trees, trees, trees. That's all they've been seeing for the last two hours. The more they went deeper in here, the darker and older the trees became.

Beside him, Mabel looked around their surroundings with curiosity, despite seeing the same exact trees from two hours ago. Her backpack hung loosely on one shoulder, and one of the small pockets held a shiny star key chain. He didn't question where she got that so fast.

"We've been going at this for what seemed like _hours,_ Bill. Just admit it, we're lost," Dipper groaned.

Bill hummed underneath his breath. "Not exactly, Pine Tree. We're almost there," Bill replied merrily, turning around to give Dipper a brief, flashing wolfish grin.

Dipper rolled his eyes, and grumbled, "you said that last time." Mabel snickered at his childishness, elbowing his side.

"Aw, don't be such a party pooper, Bro-Bro. Bill said that we might find a sprite's hideout here," Mabel told him. Dipper scoffed, hiking up his backpack up his shoulders.

"They don't exist, Mabel. And even if they did, they would be invisible to humans," Dipper replied dully. 

"You guys think they're invisible because they want to be. Sprites, even the most mischievous ones of them all, know for a fact that humans are the most disgusting things to walk on this earth," Bill snapped, his voice high and angry. So much for bipolar-ness today. 

Dipper and Mabel glanced at each other in worry. "Alright, jeez, thanks for that PSA, Bill. Sometimes you forget that you're a human too," Dipper told him. Bill's back stiffened, and Dipper had the urge to walk towards him and soothe him. But he knew that would seem weird to both Bill and Mabel, so he kept his mouth shut.

"And I hate it," Bill whispered, his voice barely carrying on through the wind.

" _Okay._ If we're going to find sprites, and they all apparently hate us, how are we going to see one?" Dipper asked in both challenge and curiosity.

"They'll appear when they see me, kid," Bill answered simply, his calm and collected demeanor back in full form.

"Oh yeah? What makes you so sure?" Dipper challenged. Mabel elbowed him especially hard, and he glanced at her with a scowl. "What? I'm just asking," Dipper hissed at her. Bill thought for a while.

"Hard to explain it, Pine Tree, but basically, I made a deal with them not too long ago. They all kind of owe me a life debt for bringing some handsome kid to them," Bill laughed maniacally.

"Was he hotter than Damon?" Mabel asked.

"Mabel!" Dipper hissed, elbowing her this time.

Once again, Bill thought before answering. "Yeah, you can say that. Brown hair, blue eyes, slim body with no meat on the bones. Naiads were into thin guys back then. Though that's not really my taste, I can see why they wanted that guy so much," Bill informed them, moving away another branch. But this time, he stopped and waited until Dipper and Mabel passed before letting go of the branch and moving on and jogging back into place in front of the group. Dipper felt a bubble of jealousy rise in his stomach, and he accidentally made an impatient noise, causing Mabel and Bill to look over at him curiously.

"Naiads? You mean water spirits? Why the hell did they want a human guy?" Dipper asked Bill, covering up his mistake the best he can. It worked, and Bill smirked.

"Naiads are jealous ladies, Pine Tree. As far as I remember, this 'guy' visited them once and they all fell in love. Then he broke the news to them that he had a girlfriend back home and they all went crazy. They wanted him for themselves," Bill stated, making Mabel giggle beside Dipper.

"There's...no chance that they would want to steal one of us, right?" Dipper asked as casual as he could.

"If you're talking about yourself being taken, don't worry," Bill said casually, "they're into hunks nowadays."

That made Mabel burst out laughing, Bill laughing with her. Dipper looked down at the ground, feeling the tips of his ears redden. "T- That's not what I-" he stammered.

"Seriously, kid," Bill interrupted, looking behind himself to lock eyes with Dipper, "don't worry about them. You belong to me, and I'd like to see them try to tell me otherwise."

That caused Dipper's ears to redden even deeper, making Bill chuckle in amusement. Mabel's laugh died out, but a grin was still plastered on her face. But, was it just him, or did her smile become strained and forced?

"So uh..." Dipper began, clearing his throat and rubbing the back of his neck from both embarrassment and the itch there, "after we find that naiad-infested water, you think we can explore that cave? I saw it, and it seemed to go deeper than we stayed in."

"No," Bill suddenly snarled, turning around to look at Dipper with a flash of anger in his eyes. Maybe it was him again, or just the sun playing tricks on his mind, but Bill's pupils briefly became a deep red before coming back to their normal black colour. It was like what happened in that cave all over again, but Dipper brushed that incident off for the concussion he got from hitting his head on the rock. Huh.

Dipper put his hands up in the air in submission, and felt a chill go down his spine. He _really_ didn't want to piss off Bill again. "Sorry, I just-" he began.

"We are _never_ going back to that cave," Bill growled, his head back to looking out in front of them, but his body stiff. "I don't care if you beg for it. That place is dangerous and it was a big risk to even let you stay at the lip of it," Bill said again, his tone short and clipped, like a mother's final decision to their kids' Christmas list.

"Alright, alright, I get it. I'm sorry," Dipper said softly, walking forward to match Bill's pace. Without a second thought, he took Bill's hand in his. He felt Bill tense up, before relaxing and giving Dipper's hand a squeeze. "I just- sorry. Does it...do you just not want to be reminded of that again?" Dipper asked him softly, scratching the back of his neck. Bill glanced at him in surprise, and his facial features softened, just a little bit. 

"No, no. It's not that. Never that. It's just dangerous and I don't want you to get hurt," Bill answered, just as softly. "Not again."

Dipper gave him a kind smile, and let go of his hand to let him lead the way. But Bill growled softly, and took Dipper's hand back in his. His hand suddenly jerked Dipper towards him, and Dipper cried out in surprise.

"Watch your step, Pine Tree!" he snarled, pushing Dipper off of him. Dipper swallowed, his voice caught in his throat. Mabel gasped, and he turned around.

He was only two feet away from tumbling down a clearing. Below, the clearing was bare, the grass short and clipped. If he tumbled down, he would have no way out. Not even climbing up was an option, as the clearing below was over a hundred feet down. Dipper felt a little woozy looking down, and turned away from it. "I- I didn't see, I-" Dipper stuttered.

"Don't apologize. Just got a little-" Bill snapped, his voice faltering in his throat. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and he shook his head. "Just...watch your step. You fall down there, and no one can help you," Bill told him simply. 

"I can't imagine rotting down there," Mabel said softly. Her eyes were glued to the area, a glum pitying look on her face.

"One man did. A few years ago. His body wasn't recovered for a good while. It took three special equipment and fifteen policemen to get him out by hauling him out with ropes," Bill told them, his voice unnaturally quiet. The twins didn't ask him how he knew. 

Then, with a grunt, Bill began to move forward. When Dipper tried to move behind him, Bill glanced at him with a raised eyebrow, and Dipper took that as his invitation to sidle up beside him, their arms brushing against each other every time they swung them. Dipper wanted to hold his hand, just to let Bill know that he was safe (Bill kept glancing at him in worry when Dipper tripped or a branch broke under his foot), and just because he wanted to feel his hand in his. But, he didn't want to be pushed away again, and looked down at the ground with his hat pulled down low over his eyes the whole time they walked.

After what seemed like half an hour or so, Bill stopped in his tracks, causing Mabel and Dipper to do the same. "Look," Bill said, nodding his head, "we're here."

Dipper looked up in surprise, and made a surprised noise. Before him stood a beautiful, green spring, a mini waterfall off to the side and dumping fresh water into the spring. The grass beneath their feet were deep green and mossy, despite it being summer. Long branches of trees hid the spring away from prying eyes, and Dipper suddenly felt like he was standing in the middle of a sanctuary.

Almost immediately after he blinked, the water rose up, causing him to step back. The water kept rising up, before turning into seven beautiful women with different pale coloured skin like green, blue, or even purple. Their bodies molded perfectly from the blue, the toneless water turning into curves, to details, until the women were completely formed into humanoid beings. They giggled when they saw Dipper, and Dipper's ears turned slightly red.

"Oh, Bill! We weren't expecting you to come visit so soon!" one of them sang out, her voice like a melody carrying through the spring.

"One hundred and fifty years is too soon for you ladies? I'm a little offended," Bill chuckled.

"Oh, stop kidding around! You're like, what? A tri-" the purple coloured one began.

"I'm sorry ladies, but I can't stay long here. I'm here with some friends of mine. Her name is Mabel-" Bill pointed at Mabel, who wave to the naiads in a dazed awe, and the naiads waved back and giggled, and one even shouted out, "I love your hair!" That broke Mabel's dazed state, and she chirped out a thank you, complimenting the all of the naiads' pretty, wavy hair. "-and this is her twin, Pi-" Bill began, pointing at Dipper.

"Dipper. He meant to say Dipper," he corrected, his voice a little squeaky and definitely _not_ casual.

That caused an uproar with the naiads, and they slightly huddled together and giggled. One looked up at him and immediately blushed, looking back down at her fellow naiads. "We may be into hunks, but your thin demeanor looks _hot,_ " one of the water spirits told him the moment they turned back around from their little meeting.

"Oh my gosh, Lara!" the smallest one squeaked, hitting her arm. The commenter laughed, looking up briefly to wink at Dipper.

"Seems like you have some fans," Mabel laughed, prodding her brother's side with a finger. He waved her off with a slight, embarrassed smile on his face.

"I wouldn't mind hooking up with one of them one day," Dipper joked with a laugh. As if that was ever going to happen.

Beside him, Bill was awfully quiet. He would've waved this off as normal bipolar Bill behavior, if he didn't realize that Bill's fists were shaking at his sides and... _smoking?_

"Yo," Dipper called out to him as quietly as he can, the naiads still at it with their giggling and quiet reunion over Dipper's hair. "Are you okay?" he asked in worry, turning around to face Bill. At the sound of his voice, Bill's hands unclenched uncertainly, smoke rising out of them. He has seen weirder things than that (the naiads standing in front of him were proof of that) but he was too curious to not question it. "Why are your hands smoking?" Dipper asked once more. Bill shook his head, sighing.

"Kid, are you alright? What smoke?" Bill asked him almost incredulously. Then he waved a wave in dismissal, huffing like a parent done with their child's shenanigans. "Don't answer that. That might be because of the heat," Bill told him. Dipper pursed his lips and nodded.

"Look, uh-" Bill suddenly said, his eyes darting back and forth. He shifted from foot to foot uncertainly, looking nervous. His pupils dilated, and went back to their original size. He cleared his throat, and Dipper reached over and massaged his shoulders comfortingly. "I gotta go. I'm-" Bill stuttered, his muscles tensing underneath Dipper's fingers. Dipper frowned, and deepened his massage, and Bill's shoulders relaxed greatly under his touch. "I'm going to get us some fire wood. Here-" he said hurriedly, taking something out of his backpack and throwing it across Dipper's chest. Before Dipper could utter another word, Bill was gone.

Dipper's frowned deepened, and he looked down at what Bill threw at him. It was a yellowed piece of paper, folded. He unfolded it, and his eyes widened. His map. But it wasn't like this before. It was almost completely filled out, the details almost picture-like. It was in his version of a bird's eye view, looking over all of Gravity Falls, the details so small that you would need a magnifying glass to look at everything. The only place that wasn't filled was the cave sight, which was left blank at the top left corner. The words, 'Do not attempt to enter', were written very, very messily beside the cave, like the person didn't know exactly how to write. Or know what to say.

Dipper licked his lips, and folded the map, stuffing it into his own backpack. Didn't he just have the map in his backpack when they first hiked? How the hell did Bill get it, then fill it out in raw detail without Dipper or Mabel knowing the whole freaking time?

"Seems like the two of you are getting pretty close," said a voice behind him.

Dipper whipped his head around, and relaxed when he realized that it was only Mabel. Mabel, who had her hair in a beautiful braid with the end of it tied off with a pink, glittery rubber band. How long was he staring at that map for?

"Yeah," Dipper breathed, folding his arms over his chest. "Did you do anything fun with the naiads?" Dipper asked lamely. Mabel snorted at his question.

"They braided my hair, for one," she said, pointing at her hair before continuing, "them they asked me some questions about my love life and whatnot. But that didn't last long, I think. They kept changing the subject to you."

"To me?" Dipper said in an unnaturally high voice. Mabel laughed, punching his shoulder. "Who knew that the female species would ever like my brother, Dipper Pines? No wait, technically they aren't the female species because they're naiads and- nevermind," Mabel babbled, shaking her head. She tapped her chin, and looked out to space in thought. "I think they haven't figured out that you and Bill are a thing yet," she hummed. Dipper's neck flushed bright pink, and he hit her shoulder lightly.

"Don't say that! They might hear you!" Dipper hissed.

"Why not? Don't you want them to know that?" Mabel laughed, her eyes alight with humor. Then her smile dropped slightly. "He left," she said, her tone suggesting that it was more of a statement than a question. It sounded almost like she was scolding him.

Dipper hesitated, then nodded solemnly. "His hands just started smoking and he got up and left," Dipper told her, intentionally leaving out the map part. That made Mabel frown. "Weird, I know, but-" Dipper said.

"No, it's not the hand-smoking thing. I was just-" Mabel whispered, her frown deepening. She tightened her lips together. "I mean-" she began once more, her voice catching in her throat, "-don't you think you and Bill are taking this a _little_ too far?"

"What? What are you talking about?" Dipper mused, oblivious to her discomfort.

"Look, Dipper, I trust you. One hundred percent. But Bill? Not so much as you would think," Mabel admitted. She smiled sheepishly at him, like it would make the whole situation lighter. 

"Mabel, what the hell do you mean? You've basically became buddies with him over the past week!" Dipper exclaimed. Seriously? She goes ahead and becomes chums and pals with Bill, then go to him complaining that she didn't  _trust_ him? What the hell was wrong was her? 

"That doesn't automatically mean I have to trust him," Mabel snapped, causing Dipper to flinch back in surprise. The last time he saw Mabel this angry was in seventh grade, when he sabotaged her date with some guy on football team. Even then, her attitude was a little more tamed than...this.

"Mabel, you said you trusted me. Then trust me when I say that Bill can be trusted too, one hundred percent," Dipper told her as calmly as he could. It was getting hard to stay calm when his twin sister keeps trying to tell him to get out of a relationship then make up with said person. God, this was why he didn't even try and go on a date with a girl. 

"How the hell can you be so _sure_ , Dipper? I've- I've been in love before, countless times. And I've also thought I was in love before, when I really wasn't," Mabel told him gently, the fire in her eyes still visible. "Dipper, you're-"

"Are you saying that I'm not in love with Bill? That it's just puppy love?" Dipper snapped.

"Yes," Mabel snapped back, stepping forward, "you literally just met him not even a month ago, Dipper, and you're acting like the two of you knew each other since preschool! You two latch onto each other like leeches, and you wouldn't think twice if he asked you to jump. You'd just ask how high. Right, Dipper?"

Dipper scowled hard at her, his arms still firm across his chest. "Bill doesn't have that control over me," Dipper said coldly. Mabel laughed humorlessly.

"Not yet," she said softly, "but when you realize that he already does, you'd already be too far into his game."

"Bill won't manipulate me. He can't. I'm smarter than that, and you know it, Mabel. Don't you think that if he really didn't like me and everything we had was an act, I'd see it by now?" Dipper snapped, keeping eye contact with his sister. Why was she acting like Bill was going to kill him?

"Dipper," Mabel begged, " _think_ with your stupid nerd brain. Don't you think you and Bill are taking this way too fast? He acts like he can't wait to fall in love, and you can't wait to give in to that, because you and I both know that you're curious about it too!" She threw her arms up in the air in frustration. 

"Shut _up,_ " Dipper snarled, his eyes flashing with anger. "Bill and I barely act like a couple, and you saw that," he reasoned.

"Oh? What was that lately? The hand holding? The whispering? The massaging? You honestly think I'm that naive? Dipper, we're eighteen, I'm not twelve anymore! I know what you guys were really doing in that cave, and I acted like I didn't because I _trusted_ you," Mabel hissed. Dipper's spine stiffened, and he inhaled sharply.

"Then keep trusting me. I know Bill better than you," Dipper stated.  Mabel's lips quivered, like she wanted to blurt something out. _She probably wanted to blurt out an insult_ , Dipper thought. He laughed in his head, triumphed to see that his sister had no words.

"No, no you don't," she whispered, "he's nothing like he lets you see him as."

Dipper's anger flared. His vision turned red. And, his anger getting the best of him, he shoved his sister to the ground, causing her to cry out, and pivoted around.

He heard the naiads calling out in worry for Mabel, who in turn, said she was okay. He didn't hear the rest of the conversation as he was already far enough to barely hear. That, and his anger kept his ears plugged from the world.

He found an opening in the trees and stomped through there, his feet dragging him with his mind somewhere else. Why Mabel, of all people? Didn't she approve of Bill long before he did? What the fuck was her _problem?_ He can take care of himself! He survived Gravity Falls for over five and a half years! He was Dipper Pines, infamous monster hunter, twin of lovable Mabel Pines, mythology extraordinaire, the smartest person in his old high school, a _legend_ within Gravity Falls for his help. He probably did more during his first year in this town, probably small things like catching a loose Minotaur and helping mermaids to get back to the ocean, but thanks to his amnesia, he couldn't remember. Those memories were probably boring, old, normal memories along with his other childhood ones anyway.

Dipper made a frustrated noise, and stopped just about thirty feet away from the spring. He found a tree trunk and kicked it with a foot in frustration, immediately regretting his decision.

"Shit! _Shit!_ " he screamed, hopping away from the tree. He fell to the floor, making a grunting noise with it. He fell on his butt, facing the tree he just kicked. In the distance, Mabel called out for him, but her voice was too plugged in his ears to let him properly hear her. Dipper's vision swam with black dots, and they didn't clear until he blinked them away.

As soon as he did, his breath caught in his throat.

Memories.

They came back to him in waves of panic, in waves he didn't want to remember.

But at the same time, he _needed_ to remember. Those visions...they scared him half to death, but he reached out anyway. He screamed in frustration when those memories floated out of reach, coming out of brain every single time he tried to latch onto them like those memories were teasing him. _Not this time, not this time, not this time,_ Dipper chanted, his face numbing with pins and needles. His arms that kept him up numbed, until he could no longer feel his arms or legs, his face the only thing he could feel, which was infested with pins and needles.

 _"Gr qrw -wuxvw- Eloo Flskhu. Kh wulhg wr nloo brxu vlvwhu dqg idplob, dqg kh zloo wub wr gr lw djdlq_. _"_

He couldn't breathe. His lungs felt like they were being crushed, and he had the sudden feeling that he was going to die. He wasn't in control of his body anymore, but somehow, that feeling felt familiar. His heart raced in his chest, a steady and fast drumming that reminded him that he was still anchored to this world, that he was still breathing. At least, for now.

"-orry! _Dipper!_ _DIPPER!_ "

He felt someone crouch down next to him and feel his pulse, but otherwise, he couldn't tell who it was. His heart pounded faster, and he couldn't swallow. He couldn't do anything but sit there, and hope that he wouldn't die. He couldn't die.

"Dipper, what happened! What happened?!" Mabel cried out, shaking his shoulders. She looked into his brown eyes -their matching eyes with different emotions- and choked back a sob. Dipper's mouth felt dry, and his mind looked into somewhere else other than the girl standing before him. He was seeing a puppet show, watching his body be pierced with ten different forks. He was seeing four days of hell, the one behind it all laughing maniacally, giving him a pounding headache at the back of his head and the nape of his neck. Those memories disappeared the moment they came, and he wanted to scream, to yell and hit himself over and over again for not trying hard enough to get them back.

Then, one vision stayed. A cipher wheel. Ten symbols. The original journal two. One man- _demon_ behind it all.

But the demon didn't seem familiar, despite his gut telling him that he knew, that he _used_ to know.

And he hated himself, and was _disgusted_ by himself for not knowing.

His panic attack left his body, not smoothly, but not suddenly either. His eyes flitted open to seeing Bill look down at him with a sweaty panic plastered on his face, his eyes wide and scared. His left hand was smoking blue, but Dipper was too tired to question it. Mabel had her hands over her mouth beside Bill, her knees soaked through with mud and water.

"Did...did you come to say I'm right?" Dipper joked hoarsely.

Mabel laughed, her laugh strained and so, so relieved. She charged forward and hugged him as fiercely as possible, and Dipper hugged back with a wince, his mind still fried and light-headed. When he looked down at his aching right arm, he realized that it was red, like someone was scratching it from his elbow to hand. He gently touched it with a thumb behind Mabel's back, and hissed at the fire and red-hot feeling it spread through his thumb.

Bill watched him with hollow eyes before standing up, his backpack over his shoulder. Beside him on the ground stood eight thick sticks of dry fire wood.

Mabel finally stopped hugging him, and held his shoulders at an arm's length. When she saw that his shoulders were quivering from his panic attack, she squeezed his shoulders and gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm taking you to the mall," she said softly, "I need to show you and Bill something."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to my cousin, Aly. Yo, cousin. I didn't know you were reading this fanfiction until you told me haha. Wait, do you even LIKE BillDip and just reading this because I wrote it, your weirdo of a cousin? Don't answer that, I'll have a heart attack. D:


	15. The Mall of Mysteries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole chapter is just Mystery Twins bonding, so I'm sorry, I'm just complete twin trash DDDD:
> 
> And I will fight you if you don't tell me that Mabel gets overly-dramatic sometimes especially when it comes to Dipper becoming distant with her, I will fiGHT YOU.

_"I want to reconcile the violence in your heart_  
_I want to recognise your beauty's not just a mask_  
_I want to exorcise the demons from your past_  
_I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your heart."_

[Undisclosed Desires by Muse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWTuKd2lTo4)

* * *

Dipper ran through the forest with a sword tucked under his arm, his breath crystallizing in front of his face as he puffed out one breath after another to the beat of his stomping feet.

His heart raced in his chest, and he pushed himself to run faster, to run for his life.

"There's no escape from me, Pine Tree," Bill purred, his voice close and dark. Dipper's heart rate quickened, and he growled under his breath. He hated how he had to run from Bill. He hated how he couldn't fight. He hated how he couldn't see him for who he truly was.

A traitor.

Bill laughed darkly, his shadow looming over Dipper's. Dipper cried out in pain when he stumbled down a snowy hill, Bill's foot resting on his back. "Bill, don't do this!" he cried.

Dipper's sword was scattered five feet away from him, and his eyes zeroed in on it. Bill saw him looking at the sword and kicked it away lazily, like how a cat would push away its food. Lazy, but a clear message. "I can't believe you didn't see me until now, Pine Tree," Bill drawled, pressing his own sword to Dipper's back lightly. Red, dark blood sputtered out of the wound like a careful stream. Despite not feeling the sword himself, he flinched.

"I trusted you," Dipper called out hoarsely. He choked back the sob that climbed his throat.

"A foolish act, even for you. Shooting Star saw who I was long before you did," Bill said, his voice low and threatening.

"You killed her," Dipper snapped.

Bill raised an eyebrow at him, and sheathed his sword. "I killed her because she knew what I was planning and I couldn't let that happen. Now that you know, I guess I have to kill you too," Bill said casually, like killing his sister was an ordinary thing to do. It made Dipper's blood boil, and he pushed himself up from the cold, snowy floor. Bill kicked him back down.

"Maybe next time, Pine Tree," Bill laughed, and picked up Dipper's own sword. He pressed it to Dipper's neck, to test it out. Then he pulled it back, about ready to slice open Dipper's throat. Dipper closed his eyes, and prayed that Mabel wouldn't kill him if he died again. This was the third time it happened.

A clean slice, and Dipper's vision blackened.

"Game over," said the machine, flashing the words in dark red.

Dipper groaned, kicking the machine with a foot. He barely flinched, and was more concerned with the laughter coming from the blond haired boy beside him. "Three times, Pine Tree. You couldn't even kill me, not even once!" Bill laughed.

"I thought you were going to help me get some points with Mabel, not kick her out of the game first then hunt me down!" Dipper argued.

"What? It was fun!" Bill complained.

Mabel snickered under her breath, watching the two quarrel like a married old couple. "Stop laughing," Dipper told her with a glare.

"That was pathetic, even for you, Dip," Mabel giggled, "like, seriously? Three times and you didn't even fight, not even once!" The tips of Dipper's ears reddened, and he pulled his hat lower over his eyes with a scowl on his lips.

"Aw, don't be so glum, Pine Tree," Bill purred, putting an arm around Dipper's shoulders.

Dipper crossed his arms over his chest and tried to shrug Bill off, but he wouldn't let go. Dipper instead grumbled under his breath, keeping his eyes on the dirty, soda-stained floor. "I wasted five tokens for that stupid game," Dipper groaned. Mabel laughed at his outburst, and Bill chuckled, momentarily causing Dipper's spine to tingle with shivers of delight.

" _That's_ what you're angry about? I'll get you some more if that makes you happy," Bill offered.

"Bill, you don't even have any-" Dipper scoffed. Bill pulled out a handful of tokens from his pocket and dumped it right onto Dipper's hand.

"How in the-?" Mabel questioned, her head tilted to the side with a confused look on her face.

"The machines were easy to open," Bill answered casually, kicking a random arcade machine with the back of his foot to prove his point. The machine busted open, revealing a whole compartment of tokens.

"Isn't this considered stealing?" Dipper asked, looking up at Bill. He scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest with a cute little pout on his lips like a toddler.

"You can consider it cheating, but I consider it justice," he said indignantly.

"Says the guy who once offered deer teeth," Mabel mumbled under her breath. Dipper elbowed her.

With a sigh, he stuffed the tokens into his jean pockets, the tokens tinkling together. It made him feel like a bell, drawing attention from everyone he passed. "Now that we stopped being addicted to that cursed game," Dipper began, nodding his head to the arcade machine they've stayed on for the last half hour. Bill smirked, and Mabel laughed good-naturely. "What now?"

"Another one!" Bill whooped.

Dipper rolled his eyes. "We've been to every single one at least twice now, Bill," Dipper deadpanned.

Bill scoffed. "So?"

Dipper huffed out a breath, and looked at his twin for support. She grinned apologetically and shrugged. "Maybe we can go to the comic book store and buy you some books, Dip Dop," she suggested. He groaned, and pushed Mabel playfully with a shoulder.

"I have like, five comic issues I still need to read," he complained.

"Okay, okay!" Mabel laughed, her feet bouncing up and down like that character from My Little Pony. She seemed especially bubbly right now, and Dipper was starting to get suspicious. She only got this bubbly when she was nervous. Or scared.

"Mabel," Dipper started slowly, "didn't you tell me that you needed to show us something?"

Maybe it was just him and his tired eyes, but he thought he saw Mabel flinch. "Oh, uh," she stammered, "nevermind that! I'll show you later."

Dipper raised his eyebrows in question, his arms firmly crossed across his chest. "We've been at this mall for what? Two hours now? We have to get back to work soon, Mabel. What did you want to show us?" Dipper pushed. Mabel stared at him with a lost look in her eyes, like she didn't know how to respond. She twirled her hair around one finger and bit her bottom lip nervously. Dipper's eyebrows furrowed, and he glanced at Bill. Bill was staring at Mabel with a curious look, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

"Mabel," Dipper snapped, causing Mabel to flinch subconsciously, "what is it?"

"Okay so uh, since we're here, I'm _kind of_ having second thou-" she began, avoiding his intense, angry glare.

"What? C'mon, Mabes! You brought us here as fast you can. Whatever it is, it's not going to mentally scar me forever," Dipper assured her.

"Unless it's toasters or the human centipede," Bill mumbled. Dipper elbowed him this time, giving him a scowl that said, _are you seriously going to compare a toaster to the human centipede?_

Mabel giggled at this, and Dipper was forced to scowl at her instead. She gave him an apologetic smile. "I- I changed my mind," she said quickly, "hey! I heard there was a new pizza place opening today, do you want to-?"

"I'm not hungry," Dipper said, keeping his tone cool- but he failed to keep the malice out of it. Mabel smile faded, and Dipper instantly felt bad. "Sorry. I'm sorry, I just- what's going on, Mabes?" Dipper said quietly. Beside him, Bill shifted once more, uncomfortable.

"Look, Dipper, when I saw you have that panic attack in the woods, I kind of just- _knew_ that you were getting your memories back," Mabel explained, her nervous ticks disappearing. Dipper's arms relaxed around himself, and his eyes softened. "I just wanted to show you something to get them back but-" Mabel stopped in the middle of her sentence, a far away look in her eyes.

"Ma- Mabel? Yo? Maaabel?" Dipper called out, frowning as he waved a hand in front of her.

She snapped back into reality, and she gave him an apologetic grin. She seemed to be smiling out of apology more than sincere ones recently. "Make that two things to show you two. I just didn't want to backtrack your mind too much to make it explode when you see it," Mabel explained.

Dipper nodded in understanding. "So, mind showing us, then?" he asked awkwardly. Bill played with a joy stick boredly beside him, and snapped back into attention when he realized that the twins were no longer having their small one-sided fight.

"Oh, are we going to the pizza place now?" he asked in confusion, the word 'pizza' almost foreign sounding on his tongue. Mabel snorted.

"No Bill, we're going to buy the Human Centipede 3 on DVD," she said jokingly.

Bill gasped, offended. "How _could you_ , Shooting Star?" he asked, incredulous. Mabel and Dipper, the Mystery Twins, shared smiling looks.

* * *

Dipper waved off another employee with a "thank you, but no thanks".  Bill, on the other hand, was bouncing on the nearest mattress with a laugh. An employee had to come over and get him off, and Dipper had to take it up for himself to apologize, since Bill's big ego got in the way.

"So uh...the secret to unlocking my memories is in," Dipper squinted, "Mr. ZZZ's Mattresses? Didn't this place close like, fifteen years ago?"

"Nah, they renovated it here in the mall. And, to answer your question, Bro-Bro, yes," Mabel chirped, looking at the tag for a new mattress.

"Yo, I hope you know that we don't need new mattresses," Dipper chuckled, slapping his twin's hand away from the tag playfully. She pouted at him, and Dipper laughed.

"I just wanted to see if there was a sale," she huffed.

Dipper shook his head, and let Mabel lead the way. "What, exactly, are we supposed to find here anyway?" Dipper asked her in curiosity. Behind them, Bill trailed behind, always being distracted by the different sizes of the mats. He saw a triangular one and let out a fanboy screech, bolting away before Dipper or Mabel could chase him down. They let him go, both knowing that he'd come back to them eventually.

"Trust me, it's not a mattress," Mabel told him, "it's actually a carpet."

"A carpet?" Dipper frowned. "What the hell is a carpet doing here in a mattress store?"

"An old friend of ours is taking care of it," Mabel assured him.

They reached the help center, and Mabel rung up a manager. Dipper crossed his arms over his chest subconsciously, looking to the side despite himself. His eyes searched before he found Bill, talking to a handsome young man with a lumberjack beard with a twinkle in his eyes. The employee guy laughed to something Bill said, and Bill's grin widened. Dipper's stomach grumbled with jealousy, and without meaning to, scowled at the ground.

"At this pace, you're going to completely abandon me for him," Mabel giggled, nudging his side with an elbow. Dipper smiled softly at her, turning his gaze from the maybe-or-maybe-not flirting Bill to his twin.

"What? No. I may like Bill, but you were literally with me in the womb for nine months," Dipper scoffed. Mabel raised an eyebrow in challenge, her smile becoming bittersweet.

"You forgot our twin bonding day," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

"What?" Dipper's eyebrows furrowed. Then when he realized that yes, he indeed forgot their dedicated day reserved once a week, he grimaced. He suddenly felt really bad, and looked at his sister. "Oh God," he moaned, "Mabel, I'm so fucking sorry, I didn't realize-"

"Naw, don't apologize. There's always next week, right?" she teased, nudging him once more. He playfully shoved her with a chuckle.

"I'll make it up to you, I swear. I'll buy you ice cream, multi-flavoured. Five scoops," he promised, holding up five fingers. Mabel grinned, her eyes lighting up.

"Really? Yes!" she cheered, pumping the air with a fist.

At that moment, a manager walked up to them, his ID informing Dipper and Mabel that his name was Nate. It sounded familiar to Dipper, and he realized that this was one of Wendy's friends. "Yo, Nate! I haven't seen you since...I don't even know," Dipper admitted, holding up a fist for a fist bump. Nate, realizing that he was looking at people he knew, grinned and fist bumped Dipper.

"How's it been, Dr. Funtimes?" he greeted, greeting Mabel as well.

"We've been doing pretty well, actually. Hey, I thought you were an usher at The Royal Ragtime Theater?" Dipper asked in curiosity. Nate grinned.

"Yeah, I still am. But, student loans, you know? That could explain why Wendy still works at Soos's Mystery Shack," Nate answered, scratching the back of his neck with a wolfish grin.

"Actually, me and my bro here own it now," Mabel announced proudly, putting an arm around Dipper's shoulders.

"Bro and I," Dipper corrected. Mabel kicked the back of his knee.

"Whoa, really? That's great, little guys! You two better discount me on some toilet papers the next time I come there," Nate teased. "So, what do you two need from your old man Nate?" he asked, leaning against the counter.

"Actually, I want to check the back room for something. Aisle two-oh-four?" Mabel inquired. Nate's smile turned into a small, unsure frown.

"No one has been there in five and a half years, Mabel. _I_ don't even know what's back there. Anything in particular you want to find?" he asked, unsure of Mabel's request.

"Oh, I just need to take my brother over there for a couple minutes. Just to show him something. Please?" Mabel begged, using her secret weapon; her puppy eyes.

Nate scratched his neck, thinking. "Uh, okay. But just because you two are cool," Nate chuckled, stepping aside to let them through the counter.

"You're the best! Mwah!" Mabel squealed, planting a small kiss on Nate's cheek. His face reddened, and Mabel was already in the storage room before she could notice his flusteredness.

Dipper chuckled lightly at Nate's reaction, and Nate leaned in to Dipper. "Your sister is hot as _fuck,_ " Nate whispered, "do you think I should ask her out?"

Dipper's eyebrows rose up in surprise. His twin-protectiveness kicked in, and he had to force himself not to scowl. "Dude, she doesn't bat for your team. Not completely, I guess," Dipper told him with a casual, not-so-casual shrug. Nate's brows furrowed.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"She doesn't bat for your team at the moment," Dipper said slowly, like he was talking to a child, "she's pa-"

"-hell yeah, I'm pan! Your two rolls of fat has to be up in your chest, not near your peewee!" Mabel whooped from the storage room. "But you get a free pass if your name starts with a P!" Dipper snickered soon after. 

Nate's face turned into a bright shade of red, and he coughed into his hand. "R- right. I'll see you two around," Nate mumbled, scratching his neck as he walked away to a new aisle to help an elderly couple.

"Yo, Nate!" Dipper called. Nate turned around in confusion. "Do you mind watching over that guy over there? Make sure he doesn't cause any trouble," Dipper said, nodding his head to Bill's direction, who was currently looking at a bedside table's price tag with a frown and his tongue out at his side. Nate looked over in bigger confusion, but flashed Dipper a thumbs up.

"I'll watch him. Don't worry about anything, Dipper," Nate told him with his signature wolfish grin.

Dipper smiled softly, and pivoted around to follow his sister inside the storage room.

The storage room was large and quiet, the room gloomy and almost dark. "Jeez, can they not afford light bulbs here?" Mabel scoffed, blindly feeling around the room for a light switch. Dipper squinted in the dark, and found the light switch. He flipped most of them up, and Mabel cheered at the shower of fluorescent lights filling the room.

"Okay," Dipper breathed, "lead the way, sis."

"Never thought you'd ask," Mabel said, looking around the rows of abandoned mattresses and shelves. She found the aisle she was looking for and led the way, Dipper following closely behind the a trained puppy.

They passed shelf after shelf of dusty and spiderweb coated mattresses, and Dipper had to hold in a girly scream when a spider waved up in front of him. Mabel laughed at his brief, frightened and surprised look, causing Dipper to scowl at the ground with his arms folded across his chest.

"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?" Dipper complained.

"You really have to start trusting peoples' sense of direction, Dip Dop. I've had this place embedded into my mind since Stan dropped it off," Mabel assured him. Then her steps faltered, and Dipper had to stop himself from bumping into her back.

"This carpet made us really realize that we needed each other," Mabel explained, her voice echoing across the empty storage room. Dipper's brows furrowed.

"What do you-?" Dipper started.

Then he stood on his tip toes and saw what Mabel was looking at. He inhaled sharply. A blue, fuzzy carpet, rolled up into a thick roll. The tag that popped out of it read, 'Experiment 78'.

_"What's with you? Why do you need that room so bad? I never even wanted to move out!"_

_"Me either!"_

_"Wait, what? Say that again?"_

_"I- I never wanted to move out."_

Dipper's heart pounded in his chest, and his vision focused in and out. He swallowed a hard lump in his throat. He remembered. He _remembered._

Them playing golf inside their room. Mabel bringing friends over and Dipper being secretly disappointed that he couldn't spend time with her. Them fighting. Them changing bodies. The triumph he felt when he got the room.

Then him saying goodnight to a person who wasn't even there. The anger and stupidity he felt. How he was so close to crying and wondering in his bed if this was how they would live when they got older. How much he realized that he _needed_ Mabel in his life or else he wouldn't even have the strength to live.

_"Hey, um. Do you want to have a sleep over?"_

Dipper felt tears spring into his eyes, but he held them back, just for the sake of keeping a strong image to Mabel. But, without even turning around to look at her, he knew that she was openly crying.

"You have no idea how distant you became to me when you lost your memories," Mabel whispered, her cheeks stained with tears.

"Hey, I was- _am_ still close to you," Dipper whispered back, shifting his weight towards his sister, just so he if he can see if he can hug her. To let her know that her twin brother would always be here for her, no matter what happened.

"Not like before," Mabel said, choking back another sob in her throat, "the first time we came to Gravity Falls, we were  _inseparable._ Any time someone called us, they always said Dipper and Mabel, or Mabel and Dipper. Never one name without the other. And- and then you lost your memories and you became so... _cold_. You always locked yourself in your room, you yelled at me when I suggested things, and you just- seemed like you didn't even want to be a part of the Mystery Twins anymore."

Dipper looked over at his sister sharply. Was he really being that cold towards his sister? If anything, he tried everything and anything to make her happy! He did all her homework, he gave her medals that belonged to him and presented it to her, he spoiled her with different kinds of jewelry and sewing kits, and he-

Dipper swallowed. He never really hung out with her. Just when they were forced to bond during their twin bonding days. That was why she was so upset when he forgot it.

"Mabel-" Dipper began hoarsely.

"Call me selfish, or rude, or a brother-hogger, Dipper, but I didn't want you with Bill because he kept stealing you away from me. Don't you realize that he has you around his finger, that he can ask you to kill a guy and you would do it? That, even after only two weeks, you two are like inseparable leeches?" Mabel hissed, looking over at Dipper with a sharp look. Dipper stepped back on instinct. Mabel wiped away her tears angrily, disgusted by her brief moment of vulnerability.

"Mabel-" Dipper started again.

"You care about him more than you care about me! While I may have Pacifica, I would never, _never_ leave you alone without your permission and you were okay with it, but here you are, fucking around in a cave with Bill!" Mabel shouted, laughing humorlessly. She stepped towards him, and Dipper stepped back once more.

"Mabel, _please_ , I-"

"You wouldn't even care if I died, would you? The first thing you would ask if you found out I died would be, 'is Bill okay?'. Hell, I bet that if I read your mind right now, you would probably be thinking of Bill, Bill's hair, Bill's obnoxious laugh, Bill's eyes, just Bill, Bill, _Bill,_ " Mabel snarled, her eyes flashing with grief and anger.

Dipper swallowed, and opened his mouth to speak.

"You know what? Just go! Go back to your boyfriend and go make out with him or whatever. I don't need you. I don't a twin who- whose love sick over a guy he just met two weeks ago. I don't need a brother who can't even say he loved me, that he needed me to be there for him, because he's too busy lusting over a _fucking_ -!" Mabel rambled, her voice catching in her throat.

Dipper stepped forward and hugged Mabel fiercely, his arms squeezing her shoulders tightly like a vise. She squeaked, her body still tensed from her rant. He buried his face in her shoulder, feeling tears leak out of the corner of his eyes. His hat fell off from his head, but he couldn't care less. He squeezed her tighter, afraid that if he let go, she would drift away.

"I love you," he breathed, "I love you and I need you, sis. I can't live without you lifting me up and giving me shit for thinking things like that."

Mabel was quiet, her breathing slowing down. Then, slowly and carefully, like she thought this was a dream, she wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him just as tightly as he was. "I love you too, Bro-Bro," she whispered back, her voice soothing and quiet, like a mother putting their child to sleep. Dipper closed his eyes.

They stood there for what felt like hours, before they broke apart at the same time. They laughed when they realized that both of their eyes were puffy and red, elbowing each other like it was an inside joke. "God, you look like a mess," Mabel laughed, crouching down and picking up his hat. She offered it to him, and Dipper took it, shoving it back onto his head.

"Not as much as you. Thank God you didn't wear that awful mascara today," Dipper laughed back, messing up her hair. She cried out, and flipped off his hat from his head.

They pushed each other to the sides as they walked out of the room, laughing with arms around each other like drunk college buddies. As soon as they go to college in September, they probably _will_ be drinking buddies. After all, the twin can't do anything stupid without the other.

"Okay, so what now?" Dipper laughed, as soon as they exited out of the storage room. Mabel squinted and looked around the room.

"Well, Bill's not here. We have to find Waldo first," she giggled.

"Got your back, Mabelton," Dipper said, slapping her back good-naturely with a grin. He walked up to Nate, identifying him by his hair and employee polo shirt.

"Have you seen that guy I told you to watch?" Dipper asked him. He turned around in surprise, and relaxed when he saw that it was only Dipper.

"Oh, I think that guy you told me to watch over had super hearing or something. He went up to me twenty minutes ago and said to tell you two that he'd be out at the site. He said you would know what that would mean. So uh, yeah," Nate said, giving them a lopsided grin. Someone barked at him to get his butt over to aisle nine, and Nate glanced at them. "Sorry, I have to go. Nice seeing you two again!" he continued, flashing them the peace sign before jogging away to the trouble of aisle nine.

Mabel and Dipper looked at each other. "The site?" Dipper echoed. Mabel's shoulders tensed, brow scrunching together in what seemed like concentration.

Without a word, she took his wrist gently and pulled him out of the store. "Wh- where are we-?" Dipper stammered. Mabel pulled him harder. They sped down the stairs of the mall, reached ground floor, exited through the main gates, came into the parking lot, and entered Dipper's car. But as Dipper tried to get into the driver's seat, Mabel beat him to it, and pointed at the passenger seat. He grumbled, but obliged.

They drove for over half an hour, no one of them bothering to turn on the radio. It was quiet in his car, the only sounds being the whipping wind coming from their rolled down windows, the sun barely peeking over the pine trees of Gravity Falls. On another day, Dipper would have taken a picture of the landscape, but with Bill missing, he felt too glum to do so. So he just watched the trees roll by, Mabel not bothering to tell him where they were going.

Mabel came to a sudden stop near a clearing, and parked the car to the side of the road. "He's here," she told him, nodding to a small, open space out in the forest. Dipper adjusted his hat on his head, and he got out of the passenger seat with a curious glance at Mabel.

"Why would he be here?" Dipper inquired. Mabel chewed on her bottom lip.

"I think he found out about the statue," she said, almost shamefully.

"The statue? You mean that weird looking-?"

She was already out the car, and Dipper had no choice but to follow. She speed-walked down a small slope and into the clearing, and she pushed away a large branch in the way of their path. Dipper saw the footprints from the mud before he saw the culprit.

Bill was sitting cross-legged in front of the triangular statue buried half way into the ground, one arm outstretched like it was going to shake a hand. Moss grew over the statue, and leaves and vines covered it like a cape. Dipper found this place about two years ago on a hike, and when he asked his Grunkle Ford, he just said it was a statue left behind over a thousand years ago that probably had no meaning. Mabel told him not to go looking out for it again. She said that the statue was just a stone replica of a toy from the 1800's she learned in History class. Dipper shrugged it off a long time ago. But it seemed like Bill was more than interested in this little piece.

Bill didn't turn around when he heard them coming, and laughed softly under his breath. Beside him, Mabel's shoulders tensed up at the sound of his laughter. Flashes of hurt and recognition filled her eyes, but they were gone when she blinked her eyes.

"You didn't tell me I had a statue built for myself," Bill said, his eyes still on the statue. His voice was hollow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I MET TWO FANS IN REAL LIFE OMFGGG. THIS FANFICTION ONLY HAS 1500+ AND I MET NOT ONE, BUT TWO. WHAAAAT. So, hi Reyna and Maria! Yes, you're not hallucinating, you two. I'm the author (The author of the fanfic- my panda).


	16. Suit and Tie

_"Taking over this town they should worry,_  
_But these problems aside I think I taught you well._  
_That we won't run, and we won't run, and we won't run."_

[ **King and Lionheart | Of Monsters and Men** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtyBBoOUgho)

* * *

Mabel moaned in pain, turning over lazily on the couch with both arms around her stomach.

Dipper rolled his eyes, closing the door behind him with a foot. He held a plastic bag limply in one hand, and watched his sister moan like she was dying. "I was gone for five minutes and you're acting like someone pierced your stomach with a knife," Dipper grumbled.

"Dude, try having someone pierce my stomach with a chainsaw. That's more accurate," Mabel moaned, turning her head upside down to look at her brother. Dipper chuckled, lifting the plastic bag and taking out the one item his sister kept begging him for. He tossed the box of tampons in her direction, and she caught it right on her stomach. She didn't wince, but moaned in delight. "Dude, I've been waiting for this for years," Mabel complained.

"Five minutes, Mabel," Dipper corrected her. "I was gone for five minutes." He sighed, pulling off his shoes.

"No wonder you were so moody yesterday," he grumbled, "you were PMSing. You always acted like the world was going to end every single time you PMS."

"Well, let's see if you think the world is ending when you wake up in a pool of blood. Do you want me to end your life the same way?"

Dipper snorted, crumpling up the plastic bag into a small ball and tossing it into the plastic bag compartment they kept in a particular drawer. He heard that line come out of her at least once a month.

Bill looked between the twins with his hand frozen mid-air, floating over a whole box of dark chocolate, one of the many boxes Mabel had piled up next to her on the couch. A towel was right under her butt, and she looked extremely miserable, not even bothering to eat her chocolates as she watched 'The Notebook' on Netflix with Bill. "Did someone try to kill you last night, Shooting Star?" Bill asked boredly, but Dipper could've sworn he heard some of the same brotherly-protectiveness he possessed himself in Bill's tone.

Mabel snorted, sitting upright on the couch with a wince, the box of tampons clutched to her stomach. "Nah, I just started womanhood for the thousandth time. Like seriously, I get it. I'm a woman. Does the world think women need to be reminded every month? Like, why not shoot us an email or a text, damn," Mabel scoffed.

Dipper plopped onto the long couch that no one was occupying, taking off his socks in the process. "Womanhood?" Bill echoed, the confusion evident on his face. "Did you like, sacrifice a virgin or something?"

"No Bill," Mabel said patiently, making Dipper wonder if she knew that Bill didn't know about periods. Dipper couldn't blame the guy, anyway. He didn't know what periods were until Mabel got her first one when they were fourteen. He didn't look at Mabel in the eyes when she explained it, and always tossed chocolate at her face when she got particularly angry at him.

With a thoughtful look, Mabel suddenly jerked up with a great idea in her head and opened the box of tampons. She pulled out a colorful green plastic packaging, the plastic slim and small. But Dipper knew exactly what was in it, and despite putting up with this for the last four or so years, shivered. "When a girl becomes a lady-" Mabel began, causing Dipper to snort, "-they have to go through this thing every single month called a period, or a menstrual cycle for the nerds. Us women have to bleed through our vagina once a month, for at least three days or more," she finished, unwrapping the green plastic tube.

Bill's brow knitted in confusion, and he stuffed another chocolate piece into his mouth. "Bleed? Like, _bleed_ bleed?" Bill asked in disbelief.

"Red, dark, sometimes mushy and chunky blood," Mabel confirmed.

"Ew. Too much information, Mabel," Dipper told her, wrinkling his nose in disgust. Mabel scoffed at his discomfort.

"When the blood comes out, we have to stifle it somehow to _at least_ act like everything was okay," Mabel continued, holding up the tampon like a trophy.

"That's pretty insane and cool for women to do that once a month," Bill admitted, his mouth full with chocolate. His grin told Dipper,  _and I kinda want to try it._

"Thanks! At least _someone_ without a vagina appreciates it for once," Mabel said happily, turning a glare onto Dipper. Dipper held up his hands in defeat.

"So, what happens?" Bill asked excitedly, like a little kid asking for more of a fairy tale.

"Well," Mabel hummed, pushing up the tampon to release the top part of it. Dipper could tell she was having fun with this. "Some women just put in these pad things into their underwear. But some, like me, take these things called tampons and put them up there for hours at a time before pulling it out with this string," Mabel explained further, flicking the string on the tampon. Despite knowing all of this because of eighth grade and Mabel's constant teasing, Dipper cringed. Bill, the poor innocent child with little to no knowledge about anything about women, looked at Mabel in question.

"Like, up the vagina?" Bill whispered, almost as if he thought that saying it out loud would taboo them. Mabel nodded in confirmation.

His face paled, and his eyes flickered over to the tampon. "The- the _whole_ thing?" Bill asked once more, his tone incredulous.

"Yeah," Mabel chirped, popping out the tampon fully. Bill stopped eating his chocolate, his face contorted into a disgusted, horrified look that Dipper hasn't seen since they watched the Human Centipede 2.

"That is  _sadistic_ _,_ " he declared, horrified.

Mabel laughed at his reaction, gripping the tampon in a hand. "Okay, I gotta go use the little lady's room to use this bad boy. I could feel myself bloating," Mabel teased, getting up clumsily from her spot on the couch.

"Can I see the tampon when you're finished?" Bill asked excitedly.

Mabel and Dipper turned to look at him with weird looks. His eyes flicked over the room with a poker face. He dug his hand into the chocolate and pulled some out like a little kid.

"Oh uh," he said quickly, "more chocolate?"

Mabel left the room with a snort, and Dipper crossed his arms over his chest. He lifted a foot over his knee, and leaned further against the soft cushion behind him. Bill was leaning against the TV, looking at the painting over Dipper's head with a spaced out look. The Notebook played on the TV, but no one was actually listening to it, as Dipper stared off into space with Bill looking over his head with the same expression on his face.

"Is that you and Shooting Star?" Bill asked, nodding his head to the painting on top of Dipper.

Dipper craned his neck around and looked up. It was the painting Mabel drew for her art class in ninth grade, the colors still bright and colorful as ever. It was of him and Mabel, an arm swung around each other like old buddies, matching grins on their faces with both of them flashing the thumbs up at the imaginary camera. Behind them, with a hand on each of their shoulders, stood Stan and Ford, smiling like proud parents. "The portrait of the two inseparable twins," Mabel had called it, ever so proudly.

"And my Grunkles, yeah," Dipper said, turning his head back to Bill.

Bill smiled softly, and set his chocolate aside. "Now suddenly, I'm wishing I had a twin myself," Bill chuckled.

"Trust me, having a twin can be a pain in the butt," Dipper told him. Then he thought for a while. "But, it can be rewarding, I guess. Rewarding, but annoying," Dipper said again with a sigh. "And uh, you don't have any siblings? Cousins?" Dipper asked when Bill looked at him with a curious look. Bill shook his head slowly, not sadly, but not happily either.

"Had a mom and dad, like every person on this earth. Only problem was, they abandoned me as soon as I was born. I think I had a brother after I was produced, but I don't know for sure," Bill admitted.

"Oh," was Dipper's only response.

Before anything else could get any worse or awkward for Dipper, Mabel burst into the living room, squealing out of the top of her lungs. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" she squealed, literally jumping up and down in happiness. Mood swings. Dipper would never get used to them.

"What? _What?_ " Dipper asked impatiently, turning off the TV. No one was watching it anyway.

"Okay, okay, sorry! I was just really, _reeeeally_ excited for a moment there, oh my fucking g-" Mabel breathed, holding the phone to her chest.

"Wait, okay, let's just backtrack for a moment, shall we?" Dipper soothed. Then he gave Mabel a weird look. "Wait, were you _texting_ while you were putting that in?" Dipper asked in disbelief.

"Pffft, I've been doing this for years, Dip Dop. I'm a master at multi-tasking, especially when Aunt Flow visits," Mabel scoffed, waving a hand in dismissal.

"Jesus, you guys didn't tell me you had an aunt coming over!" Bill said with a frown.

"Periods, Bill," Mabel and Dipper said at the same time.

"Oh," Bill said simply. "I knew that."

"So, what?" Dipper inquired impatiently, turning his attention back to his hyperactive sister.

"Pacifica invited all of us to go to her ballroom party!" Mabel squealed, jumping up and down in excitement. Then, realizing her mistake, cringed and put a hand to her stomach. "Remind me not to do that for the next three days," she heaved. Dipper rolled his eyes.

"Ballroom party? Can't you just go with her by yourself?" Dipper asked with a huff. He wasn't in a good mood today, but he couldn't figure out why. Maybe it was because he didn't get much sleep last night, or he was having what Mabel called, "man periods".

"Bro-Bro, I'm forcing you and Bill to go," Mabel snorted.

"What? Why?" Dipper choked.

"Well, for once, the two of you need to go out somewhere instead of here in this dusty old Mystery Shack. Secondly, it can be a great experience for the both of you," Mabel told him. He opened his mouth to argue, but was shut down once more by his sister. "And don't worry about the Shack, the party starts at ten in the evening tomorrow," Mabel assured him.

"TOMORROW?!"

Mabel laughed softly at his distress, plopping her butt down back to her original spot. "And, speaking of the Shack, why did you close it for today?" Mabel asked him in curiosity, reaching over to Bill to signal for chocolate. He palmed her some, smirking. She stuffed it into her mouth, then flashed the blond boy the thumbs up. Waddles, her old pet pig, waddled into the room with an oink, sitting its butt down next to Mabel with a sniffle. He totally forgot about the pig.

"Wendy wasn't feeling well- probably because she went to the club the night before, I guess. Rookie, for once, called in sick. 'Said something about accidentally eating pig food. Plus, everyone else isn't feeling well today either, so..." Dipper explained, shrugging his shoulders to prove his point. Mabel giggled softly, stuffing another chocolate piece into her mouth and chewed before saying,

"You said Rookie, not Damon. Did the name stick to you or something?"

Dipper grinned at his sister. "Rookie sounds better than Damon. Kind of like my own name," he admitted.

Bill swallowed a chocolate piece, and put down the chocolates to the carpet. "Who's Damon?" he asked in curiosity.

"Oh, the new kid. He is honestly the hottest guy I've ever seen all my life," Mabel gushed.

Without meaning to, and not realizing it himself before Mabel and Bill looked over to him so fast that they both might've gotten their necks broken, Dipper mumbled, "Got to agree with you on that one, sis."

Dipper's face reddened, and his back sunk against the back of the couch. "What did you just say?" Bill asked innocently, his words layered with deceived anger. 

"N- nothing! I said, I- I agree on eating ice cream for dinner!" Dipper blurted. Though he's only met Bill a little over two weeks ago and that they only started dating the week before, Dipper could tell that making Bill mad was like setting off a bomb with a passcode. It's hard to activate Bill's anger, but when it does happen, someone help them all.

Bill stared at him with a scowl on his face, and Dipper couldn't help but see him as a little kid angry over getting his toy taken away. The image of Bill as a little boy and pouting stuck to his head, and he grinned despite not meaning to. That caused a flare in Bill's anger, and Bill's eyes flashed with red. "Do you think this is a joke, Pine Tree?" he asked quietly, his voice low and lethal. Mabel's eyes widened, and she pulled up her feet to her chest like it was going to help her. Jealous Bill was a dangerous Bill. With a jaguar's lethal grace, Bill hopped up from his seat and stalked over to Dipper.

Dipper swallowed as Bill stood over him with a stoic expression, empty of any emotion Dipper could think of. Then, with a sudden soft look, Bill held out his hand.

"Miss Direction asked us to come?" Bill asked, directing the question to Mabel. Mabel nodded vigorously, and then realized that he probably couldn't see her head nod.

"Yep," she comfirmed, "although she said that you two better come in suits or else you guys would be kicked out."

Bill grunted. "Thought so," he grumbled, his eyes flickering over to Dipper. "Stop sitting there like an idiot, Pine Tree. We have some suit shopping to do, apparently," he sighed.  As if he was shocked back to reality, Dipper grabbed Bill's hand and hoisted himself up with Bill's help.

"Oh hell yeah! Meet you guys in Dip Dop's car in five minutes!" Mabel whooped, instantly standing up from her spot on the chair. She didn't even flinch with the cramps that came with it, but instead ran upstairs to her room. Dipper heard her bedroom door slam, and a curse that followed with it. Dipper looked over at Bill, and saw that Bill was already looking over at him with a smirk playing on his lips.

"Well," Dipper shrugged, "you heard Your Highness. We gotta get dressed."

The tips of Bill's lips twitched. "Together?"

Dipper scoffed and wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, no. Just get dressed, you big idiot," Dipper teased. Bill saluted him, then ran upstairs. With a sigh, Dipper followed.

Dipper opened the door to his bedroom and heaved out a big sigh of relief. At least Bill wasn't hiding behind the door to scare him this time. He walked over to his dresser and changed out of his pajamas (yes, he went to the store in pajamas for his sister. The dedication, man). He changed out into a simple maroon coloured hoodie, matching it with long, baggy jeans. He was going to have to change out of them more than once today anyway, for his suit.

He rested a hand on the doorknob, then hesitated. This was the second time in a row that he was going to the mall, and he was going to remember some things again on the way. He grumbled under his breath and pivoted around, grabbing his small gray notepad out of his drawer.

He filled it out with memories yesterday night with Mabel, staying up until two in the morning with her to fill it out. And, even after they finished and Mabel sleepily went to bed after he nagged her to, he spent three hours staring at those memories written in the tiny notepad. She promised him that she would show him some spots in the mall where they had the most memories, and she fulfilled that promise by first buying him that notepad then tugging him along the mall to memorable places. Like the spot where Soos and Melody hooked up, the Duck-tective t-shirts Mabel bought for him, and the place called Kidz Zone where they spent some time there throwing plastic balls at their Grunkle Stan.

He grabbed a small mechanical pencil off his desk and stuffed both that and the notepad into his hoodie pockets, then walked out of his room.

He was startled by the sudden music coming out of the hallway, and jerked his head to the room where it was sputtering out. He thought it was Mabel at first, sputtering out Disco Girl on the radio, but it was actually Bill, whose room was wide open. Though they slept in the same bed together, Mabel insisted Bill got his own room, where they would finally put his recently bought clothes and personal items in. Bill agreed, and the three of them fixed up Grunkle Stan's old room. They thought about giving Bill their old room upstairs in the attic, but thought better of it. The attic was now filled with crap, and it would take months to clean out.

Dipper, with a huff, walked over to Bill's room and peeked in out of curiosity and annoyance. Lo and Behold, Bill Cipher stood in the middle of his very, _very_ dirty room with a hairbrush up to his mouth and he sang out words from Disco Girl. Dipper realized with a start that he never came into Bill's room before, this experience being the first time he saw his room. And, he wasn't impressed.

Stale Doritos and Dorito bags strewn around the dirty carpet floor, the walls filled with images of Bill himself until Dipper could barely tell the colour of the walls. His closet and drawers were wide open, clothes out and thrown around the room like Bill spent his time tossing them around drunkenly. That image made Dipper snort, and Bill turned around to look at him.

Bill's small smile of happiness widened into a grin. "Pine Tree!" Bill sang out, pulling Dipper into the room before Dipper could see what was happening.

"Wh-" Dipper began, being cut off by Bill's laugh.

 _"Disco girl, coming through!"_ Bill sang with an off-key note. Dipper couldn't help but laugh and join in.

 _"That girl is you, OOH OOH!"_ Bill and Dipper sang off-key.

They laughed together, and Dipper pushed Bill to the bed playfully. "Dude, you're not even dressed!" Dipper complained. Bill looked down at his pajama pants and chocolate stained shirt, and laughed merrily, like the him not being dressed was the funniest thing in the world. He stopped laughing when Dipper gave him a plain look.

"Can't I just go to the mall with this? No one even knows me!" Bill whined like a little baby.

"But people know Mabel and I. Don't be so cruel," Dipper told him, crouching over to his drawer and pulling out some clothes. He pulled out some black slacks, some clean socks, and a plain puke green shirt that said, "Nearly almost dead but not quite!". He tossed them to Bill's face, and Bill caught them with one hand casually. "Dress up," Dipper said boredly. Bill's grin faded, but not because he was frowning, but because he was now smirking.

"Jeez Pine Tree, if you wanted to see me naked again so bad, you should've told me beforehand."

Dipper's face reddened, and he stuttered on his next words. "R- right, sorry. I'll just...turn around and let you do your, uh, thing," he stammered, hurriedly turning around so his back faced Bill. He heard fabric being rustled around, and the thud as Bill tried to slip on his socks while standing up before falling down to the floor to put them in defeat. He heard minor curses come out of Bill, and his back twitched to turn around and help. But he forced himself to look up at Bill's wall to distract himself. He had a feeling that Bill takes twice the time to dress up as Mabel does. He might as well get comfy on the floor.

His eyes darted around Bill's wall, finding portrait after portrait. Some were hand-drawn, some were printed out on Mabel's camera when she showed Bill how to take selfies. For some reason, a yellow triangle showed up once and a while, sometimes covered by blue fire. It reminded Dipper of the triangular statue he saw once more with Bill and Mabel. When they first found it, they all stared at it for a couple minutes before Mabel told them that they had to get home. Bill didn't get up until Dipper and Mabel hoisted him out, and he didn't speak at all until he woke up this morning. Dipper didn't question either Mabel or Bill, and decided to save the questions for when they got into a better mood.

Thinking that he'd see another narcissistic portrait of Bill, he flicked his eyes to the corner of the room boredly. He was surprised to see that no, it was not a portrait of Bill, but of _himself._ Hand-drawn, with Bill's name chicken-scratched to the bottom of the painting. He never thought he'd admit to himself that Bill Cipher was quite the artist.

Dipper's brow furrowed in confusion, and without his glasses, had to squint to properly see it. It was of him, smiling and waving at the invisible camera, his eyes alight with joy and happiness, something Dipper had never seen in himself.  He was wearing his usual red flannel, blue pine tree hat, and jeans, his other hand hanging limp to his side like an awkward child. Dipper snorted. At least Bill got his awkwardness right. Then, his eyes traveled to the top of the portrait and saw a scribble of random letters put together.

Dipper chewed on his bottom lip, and pulled out his phone from his pocket. He knew Caesar code when he saw it. He opened up his decoder app and quickly copied down the letters, licking his lips. Then, the app loaded up and showed the results. His eyes widened, the breath knocking out of him like a punch to the gut, his face turning as red as a tomato. Jeez, this man was the romancer. He opened his mouth to speak, but Bill beat him to it.

"You can turn around now, Pine Tree," Bill said boredly behind him. Dipper's shoulders stiffened, and he hurriedly stuffed his phone back into his pocket.

"Right!" Dipper blurted, his voice cracking. He heard Bill snicker, and he stood up quickly with a red face, turning around. Then, his already red face turned even redder, if that was even possible. "BILL!" Dipper screamed, clapping a hand over his eyes.

 _Calm down, Dipper, calm yourself. At least he was wearing pants, oh my God, at least he was,_ Dipper told himself, his mind reeling with the image of a shirtless Bill implanted into his mind. Sure, they saw each other naked before, but that was in the _dark._ And here was Bill, showing off his chest and happy trail like it was nothing, still in the process of putting on his green shirt. "You told me you were finished!" Dipper screamed again, his voice agitated. Damn it, his happy trail, trailing down his V-cut and down his...

"I never said that, I just said you could turn around," Bill pointed out, amused by Dipper's embarrassment.

" _Now_ I'm finished," Bill told him. With a shuddering sigh, Dipper uncovered his eyes and blinked from the sudden light. Thankfully, Bill wasn't joking around with him and was completely dressed, dramatically striking a pose.

Dipper growled under his breath. "Why do I put up with you?" Dipper grumbled, stuffing his hands into his hoodie pockets.

"Because you love me," Bill chirped, taking a comb from his dirty drawer and sliding it over his messy hair.

It did nothing to his hair, and messed it up even more, if that was possible. Bill sighed, and slammed down the comb to the drawer. "I don't see why you guys even _have_ combs. It doesn't do shit," Bill sighed, irritated. Meanwhile, Dipper's back was rigid, and his neck flushed with more embarrassment.

He was going to point out that Bill had to comb his hair to the direction of where his hair was going, but was afraid that if he spoke, his voice would come out small and unsure. So he kept his mouth shut.

Bill, realizing his mistake, glanced over at Dipper in surprise. "I was teasing, Pine Tree," Bill assured him, but he frowned, "I just met you two weeks ago, according to Shooting Star. Hell, _I_ don't even love you."

That stung Dipper more than it should.

Dipper swallowed a hard lump in his throat, and plucked up the courage to speak. "Yeah," Dipper said quietly, "Mabel's waiting for us, Bill. We should go."

* * *

Dipper's breath was sucked out of his lungs as the tailor tightened the suit around his middle. "Sorry. Too tight?" the tailor apologized.

"A little bit," Dipper strained to say. Beside him, Bill was casually fiddling with the collar of his dark suit, his own tailor batting his hand away from the collar.

Mabel breathed out a laugh under her breath, a box resting on her lap as she watched the two boys get fitted for their suits while she sat down on a bench. They picked out her dress first of course, and she took two hours to find the perfect one. Mabel refused to show them, scolding them that if they went to the store with her, they probably would've seen the dress. Dipper and Bill grumbled this off, crossing their arms over their chests like grumpy kids being told that they couldn't have ice cream because it was cold out.

Dipper's midsection freed, and he could finally breathe. "How long will this take?" Dipper asked his tailor as polite as he can.

"Around thirty more minutes, Sir. We still need to stitch the sides to your perfect size," the tailor said with a sniff. While most tailors would have fitted them and took the suits off, Bill specifically asked them to have it stitched on their bodies to "make things faster". Dipper didn't even have time to complain before his tailor squealed in delight and immediately set to work. 

"I've never had a customer be this slim before. Are you dieting or something?" she asked again. Dipper's ears reddened in flushed embarrassment, and Bill laughed softly beside him.

"She's got a point, Pine Tree," Bill pointed out.

"Can it, Cipher," Dipper grumbled.

Dipper's tailor looked between the two curiously, her hands still moving to stitch a side. "I'm sorry, but I'm just really curious," the tailor apologized. She pointed a needle at Dipper, then Bill. "Are you two cousins, or...you know...?" she asked with an embarrassed cough.

Dipper and Bill looked at each other. "You humans are really shy about intimate relationships, aren't cha? We're what you guys call a 'thing'," Bill said boredly. Dipper scratched an itch behind his neck.

"Oh!" the tailor gasped, almost dropping her needle. "Oh my fucking- sorry, excuse my language. This- this is so cool! I've never tailored a gay couple before, and I've been _dying_ to, because do you know how much I always wanted to make matching suits?!" the tailor said excitedly, almost bouncing up and down. Then her smile changed into a sheepish one. "Sorry, I just- oh my lord," she moaned. Mabel whooped, and ran over to high five the tailor. Bill's tailor, a quiet man with graying hair who kept to himself, didn't mind the distraction and kept working on Bill's suit, his face full of boredom.

"Dude, I ship them so hard!" Mabel squealed.

 _"Right?!"_ the tailor said, squealing with her.

"I never thought the Northwests would send a gay couple to me, because of their uh, reputation, you know? I've been working under them for years and never once have they sent one to me!" the tailor sighed. Dipper coughed into his fist, causing the suit to rip a little at the side, and the tailor quickly stitched it back up with a quick, precise hand. The corner of Mabel's lips twitched, and Bill leaned in to hear what was happening better.

"Actually, their daughter is dating me," Mabel stated proudly.

The tailor really did drop her needle this time, and her head whipped around to Mabel so fast that she could've broken it. "Wait- what- you- you mean- Pacifica Elise Northwest?" the girl stammered. Mabel bobbed her head, amused by the tailor's reaction. "And her parents are okay with that?" the tailor said quietly, like she was afraid that Preston and Priscilla Northwest would hear her.

"They seem like a strict family, but they love their daughter, even if they don't show it on the outside. They were skeptical at first, they even shouted at me for manipulating their daughter, but you know, you can't stop love. Especially the power of Mabel's love," Mabel said with a grin. She sang out the word 'love' and Dipper mentally rolled his eyes.

"Oh God, my mind is officially blown," the tailor admitted, tightening Dipper's suit with a flick of a hand. It fit around Dipper snugly, and she smirked proudly. "Better get that suit off, dude. It's ready to be picked up," she said.

"I thought you said that it would take thirty minutes?" Dipper asked in confusion. The tailor smirked even wider.

"Forget this old suit. I have two at the back perfect for this cute ass couple," she said, slapping Dipper's shoulder kindly. Dipper glanced at Mabel in confusion, and she shrugged with a happy lopsided grin on her face. The tailor was up beside him, and she was talking to Bill's tailor in quiet hushes. Bill's tailor sighed and nodded, allowing whatever she had up her sleeve. He said something to Bill, and Bill nodded, his brow furrowed in the same confusion Dipper was in.

Dipper's tailor got up and left to the back of the room, and came back with two giant plastic bags that probably contained a suit each. "Each in your sizes. Go try 'em on," she explained, shoving one bag each into Dipper and Bill's arms. They glanced at each other unsurely, but obliged, going to separate dressing rooms.

Dipper locked the door behind him, and unzipped the plastic bag, not looking in the mirror as he slipped on the suit, leaving the bow tie untied because let's face it, Dipper sucked at it and he'd end up choking himself to death. He scooped up the empty plastic bag into an arm and unlocked the door, walking out exactly when Bill came out. He saw it as ironic that Bill could barely put on a shirt without help, but had no trouble putting on suits.

Bill adjusted his yellow bow tie, and grinned at Dipper when he saw him walk out. His eyes briefly glanced at Dipper, up and down. "Looking good, Pine Tree," Bill purred.

Dipper looked down at his untied bow tie and grinned apologetically at his tongue-clucking tailor. "I got it," Bill told her when she moved forward to tie up his bow tie. Bill stalked towards him and reached out both hands to hold onto the ends of Dipper's blue bow tie. He tied it up nicely, and laughed at Dipper's small pout.

"That looks a lot like the suit Paz lent you," Mabel told Dipper.

"Pacifica lent me a suit?" Dipper asked in confusion.

"First summer," Mabel explained. Dipper nodded in understanding.

"Although, I don't remember you having a blue bow tie," Mabel laughed. "Or a yellow undershirt," she said again, causing Dipper to look down at his suit. Under his black suit was a yellow button up, and saw that Bill had a blue one. Blue representing him, yellow for Bill. It was perfect, he had to admit. Almost like it was made just for them.

"How did you find colors like this?" Dipper asked, incredulous.

"Oh, it was just left to rot in the back of the closet. I did some modifications on it during my breaks, and for some reason, blue and yellow kept popping into my mind. Sorry if it seems like a weird colour on you guys," she admitted.

"No, no. It's not that. Just- nevermind. Anyway, how much do you want us to buy these suits for?" Dipper asked again, blinking at the mirror across from him. It fit him like a glove, and if he didn't keep the hat, he'd look like a rich man ready to go to a ballroom party. Bill was a couple of feet away from him, squealing quietly over the top hats arranged in a line on a shelf. Bill's own tailor was behind him, commenting on which hat Bill should get based on Bill's facial features.

"You can have them for free. It doesn't belong to anyone in particular, anyway," his tailor said nonchalantly, waving a hand in dismissal.

Beside him, Bill shoved a top hat onto his head, the lining tinged yellow. He grinned lazily, and Mabel whooped. "Looking fresh, Sir Bill!" she cheered. Bill bowed dramatically for her, grinning lopsidedly as if he was having the time of his life presenting a not-so shabby suit on himself.

Dipper smiled softly at the sight, and glanced at the tailor, who was putting away her utensils for the day. "Hey, I didn't really get your name," Dipper commented. The tailor looked up in surprise and flushed.

"Oh, it doesn't matter. I don't even know yours, too!" the tailor laughed.

"Oh, right. My name is Dipper Pines," Dipper told her, just about to enter the dressing room to change out of it. Suddenly, the tailor's expression changed. She seemed reluctant to speak, but decided to say her part anyway when Dipper quirked an eyebrow at her in question. She looked around, like she was afraid someone was listening in on them. 

"Wait, Dipper Pines? Didn't you save the town from that demonic triangle guy from apparent doom when you were twelve?" she asked, as quietly as she could.

Behind him, Mabel and Bill stopped laughing. They heard her anyway.


	17. Dance with the Devil

_"Baby, tonight's the night I let you know_  
_Baby, tonight's the night we lose control_  
_Baby, tonight you need that, tonight believe that_  
_Tonight I'll be the best you ever had_  
_I don't wanna brag, but I'll be_  
_The best you ever had."_

**[Tonight (Best You Ever Had) | John Legend](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-6WAexAPP4) **

* * *

Bill rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes with a yawn, the feeling foreign but wonderful to him.

A book was open across his lap, and a lamp shone on it beside him, and Bill blinked his eyes to keep reading. He put a finger to the sentence and stuck his tongue out, reading word after word. Though he didn't know how to do math, he was decent at reading. He was an immortal demon after all, and reading was an essential of life. Math, on the other hand, was the most useless subject he ever heard of. Well, at least he knew a trillion and five hundred numbers of Pi, which was a plus.

Bill grunted when his eyes threatened to blink close, and forced his eyes open with his fingers. He hated how his human body needed sleep every night, hated how that even after sleeping for two hours, his body still felt exhausted. Maybe he should take Pine Tree's suggestion and shoot for eight hours. Yeah, he should try that. But not now. He had some reading to catch up on.

The book he was reading was from Shooting Star, who bought it for him last week after figuring out he seriously needed it. It was about the human body and this thing the humans called "puberty". He was on the relationship chapter, and he wanted to finish it before the sun got up.

The whole chapter made him scowl and nod in understanding, and he suddenly felt extremely grateful for this book and Shooting Star. Without it, he probably wouldn't have known the reason why Pine Tree always looked so uncomfortable with him and kept hiding his lower half. Or, he wouldn't have known why his male genitals kept rising up when a rush goes through him at random times.

Bill, with an exhale through his nose, closed the book and closed the lamp. He looked to his left as a reflex, and was slightly disappointed that he didn't see Pine Tree's peaceful, sleeping face. He reminded himself that he was own room, and left Pine Tree's room for just today so he could read without bothering him. It calmed him down to know that he could still sneak into his room and slip into his bed. He didn't know why sleeping by himself bothered him so much. He hated this human body for weird, crazy thoughts like that.

Bill rubbed one side of his face and looked up at the clock on the wall. It was two-thirty in the morning. He licked his lips. She wouldn't mind if he woke her up right now, would she?

Nah.

He got up from his bed, blinking the black spots away in confusion. His head felt light-headed, and he cursed himself for standing up so fast. Shooting Star warned him about "dizzy spells" before, and he forgot about it in the moment. Bill slipped on some socks to protect his feet from the night coldness, and creaked open his door. Thankfully, it didn't make a sound, and Bill slipped through the crack.

He could barely see in the dark, and he was forced to squint. He passed Pine Tree's cracked open door and debated for a while in front of it if he should check up on the guy, just you know, to see if he was safe. Ugh, he really wished his human hormones vanished from his body.

With a rattled sigh, Bill walked away from the bedroom door, telling himself that Pine Tree would probably would be peacefully asleep, safe in his own bed. For some reason, he felt the need to watch over him now. Not because of human protectiveness, but because of what almost happened in that shop. If Mabel and Bill didn't laugh and lied through their teeth that the tailor was joking around (Bill secretly used his magic to manipulate her mouth for a while when the twins weren't looking), Pine Tree would've known who he was. He almost did. He was so _close,_ and was even to the point of looking like he was on the verge of remembering the name of this demon. Human curiosity was seriously getting on Bill's nerves. These meatbags would even go as far as to breaking the stupid law for talking about that.

Bill squinted, and found Shooting Star's room. He smiled to himself in victory and slipped into the room after cracking the door slightly ajar, closing the door right after. Soft snores filled the air, and Bill had to hold in his snicker. He was told before that girls can't snore, but the snoring brown-haired girl in front of him proved that theory wrong. Her lamp was still on, her phone still clutched in her hand beside her on the bed, her other arm around her midsection. Under her butt was a towel, and Bill's lips twitched. Saliva pooled on her pillow, and Bill had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out loud. He seriously wished he had his phone with him to take pictures. But taking one picture would take him hours to figure out by himself, and he simply didn't have that patience.

Bill sauntered towards the sleeping girl, and crouched down, both arms braced on her bed. "Shooting Star," he said quietly, shaking her shoulder.

The girl snored one last time before cracking an eye open. Both eyes fluttered open in surprise when she focused on Bill, and she stood upright on her bed in surprise. "Bill! Whudoyaneed?" she slurred, wiping the saliva off of her cheek. Her phone was left strayed on the pillow, and her eyes flickered towards it. "Damn, I stayed up all night texting," she grumbled, putting her phone away on her dresser.

Bill laughed softly, plopping down on Shooting Star's bed, parallel from her. She pulled her feet up to her chest to allow him room, and Bill crossed his legs so they both fitted. "What happened?" she asked quietly, her eyes flicking to her alarm clock. She frowned at the time.

"Nothing serious, Shooting Star," Bill assured her, "just a question."

"A question? Can't this wait until tomorrow?" Shooting Star asked with a deeper frown.

"No," he admitted, picking at the hem of his shirt. He wasn't exactly nervous, he never was, but he hated to admit to himself that he was slightly afraid of Shooting Star's answer. He read in the book that if he wanted to start dating someone, he needed permission from the parents first. Or, at least someone close to that person. Since Pine Tree's parents were in California, Bill had to reside to talking to the next best thing- Shooting Star, Pine Tree's twin and other half. If she says no, he had to respect that.

Yeesh, why was he going along with human morals again?

"Well, shoot away," Shooting Star told him gently. He almost snorted at the pun she unintentionally made, but decided to keep a stoic expression, wanting to seem as serious as possible to her.

"I kind of just wanted to ask..." Bill began, tracing triangles on her bed sheet in a nervous manner. Okay, fine, he was _nervous._ He was Bill fucking Cipher, and he was scared of an eighteen year old girl's answer. How pathetic.

"Do you mind if I asked Pine Tree out?" Bill squeaked out in a rush.

Shooting Star's eyebrows shot up in surprise, before they relaxed. "You woke me up at two in the morning for _that?_ " she asked in disbelief.

"Well, the book you gave me said-" Bill started.

"You read it? Wow, I didn't actually think you would," she interrupted, her tone full of surprise.

"I can read, Shooting Star," he replied dryly. She snorted.

"Of course you can. You're an intergalactic demon. I bet you pretended to not know math to be taught by my brother, huh?" Shooting Star teased, pushing his knee gently with a foot.

"Yeah," Bill lied with a laugh. Hey, he may not know math and he was close to Shooting Star, but not to the point where he would admit it to her. He still had his pride.

"And to answer your question, I don't mind, Sir Bill," she said again, her voice gentle and caring, like a mother calming down a child. "I might not approve of it, _buuut_ like I said before, you can't stop love," she added, giving Bill a lopsided grin.

That filled Bill with relief and he grinned back. Then slowly, but fast enough that Bill caught it, Shooting Star's expression changed. She frowned.

"You're using him," she said quietly, "aren't you?"

Bill kept quiet, letting the question hang in the air. "Yes," he finally decided to say, his voice small and maybe a little ashamed, "but not in the way you would think, Shooting Star."

To his surprise, Shooting Star laughed softly. "This conversation seems a little familiar," she mused, "sometimes I forget that you can kill me on the spot if you wanted to."

Bill's grin faded into a small, soft smile. "Never," he said quietly, "never to you, or to Pine Tree. I promise you, when I take over the world, I'll spare the both of you. Maybe as a slave, maybe to just let you go, I don't know. But I won't hurt you. I _can't_ hurt you."

Shooting Star sucked in a breath. "So you're planning to take over the world? Again?" she asked. Bill nodded solemnly. Being here, with a decent human, taking over the world didn't seem like a fun idea anymore. But he won't back up now. "You know that my brother and I will just stop you again? Maybe make our Grunkle Stan falcon-punch you again?" she teased.

"Not this time, Shooting Star. I have a better plan than to just let my demon friends in here. As they proved last time, they're useless to me," Bill said with a lazy grin.

Shooting Star snorted, shaking her head. Then she winced, and Bill would've waved it off for her period cramps as she called it, if he didn't see the slight movement he saw. Her arm twitched, and she quickly hid it under her blanket, and without asking, Bill grabbed her arm softly and pulled it to himself. Shooting Star yelped, and Bill's breath hitched.

"Who did this to you?" he snapped, his mind clouding over with anger. His vision tinted red, and he forced down a breath to calm himself down.

"It's nothing," Shooting Star squeaked, pulling her bruised arm away and cradling it next to her other hand.

" _Shooting Star_ ," Bill repeated, his tone clipped and short. "Who. Did. It?"

Her jaw ticked, like she was debating if she should tell him or not. "Some guy on the street cat-called me. I was in a bad mood and I kind of exploded and-" she whimpered.

"-did he do anything else to you?" Bill asked her, daring himself to push this conversation to the limit. His magic was right at the tips of his fingers, waiting to be called upon to be used, to be used to kill. More specifically, that cat-caller.

He made a disgusted face. This is why he wanted, _needed_ to kill humans. They were disgusting, idiotic creatures. Creatures who dared to hurt one of the Pines. Those stupid, pathetic fucking _bastards._

"No, no!" she said quickly, calming Bill down immensely. "Just- he just grabbed my arm and twisted it. I started it, so," she said casually, shrugging her shoulders.

"Yesterday?" he guessed.

"When you and Dipper were getting some gas for the car," she admitted, twisting her hair around a finger.

Quietly, without saying a word, Bill took her broken arm and tugged it to himself. Then, he closed his eyes, and put a hand on the bruised forearm gently, hearing Shooting Star hiss in pain. Then, with a pulse, magic shot out from his fingertips and floated over Shooting Star's bruise, the bruise turning back into smooth skin in a matter of seconds.

Bill opened his eyes, feeling a little light headed. The magic drained him a little, especially since he was in a human body (he could've done more in his immortal form), but he grinned. "Feel better?" Bill asked her. Shooting Star opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water, pulling her arm back towards her in shock. She inspected the arm, looking under it, over it, looking for the sign of a bruise that just seemed to have magically left- which was technically what happened.

"You- you have _magic_?" she sputtered.

"'Course," Bill answered casually.

"You could've used it before! You could've- you could've taken over the world by now!" Mabel stammered.

"I have weak magic, Shooting Star," Bill told her, lifting up a hand and igniting it with blue fire. Then it was stifled almost immediately, and he grimaced. "It only acts up with strong emotions you humans have," he added. _And Fordsy's formula went up in flames,_ he wanted to tell her. But even if they were as close as best friends, he couldn't risk another foil in his plans. Telling her he had weak magic was the best he could do to show her that he trusted her somewhat.

"Magic," she breathed, "I haven't seen you use that since..."

"Weirdmageddon," Bill finished with a solemn nod.

Then she frowned, and Bill could almost _see_ her head spinning and reeling with a question. "Bill, what-?" she began.

Then soft music played throughout the Shack, and Bill and Shooting Star looked up at each other in surprise. "We'll meet again," Shooting Star laughed.

"What?" Bill asked in confusion.

"The song he's playing downstairs is called 'We'll Meet Again'. You sang that out once. You were drunk," she explained. Bill chuckled. He couldn't recall singing that song when he was drunk, but he bet that he sang pretty well. As arrogant as that sounded. 

"Should I...?" Bill said, getting off her bed. She waved him off in dismissal.

"Help the poor child," she told him.

Bill grinned, and saluted her goodbye. "Night, Shooting Star," he whispered, his hand on the door knob.

"Night, Sir Bill," she whispered back, crawling back into her bed sheets. He smiled wistfully, and closed the door behind him.

He stretched his back, yawning. He shook his body to get it working again, and followed the music downstairs. The music got progressively louder as he walked down, and the lyrics got louder. He was walked right into the kitchen, and he had to purse his lips to keep from smiling. He crossed his arms over his chest, and leaned against the door frame with casual interest.

Pine Tree stepped a foot forward, then rose up, then down as he stepped backward. He did it again, then cursed himself when he missed the slide. "Fuck," he hissed under his breath, going back into position to try again. Bill laughed mentally. Pine Tree could barely do the box step for the waltz. No wonder he wanted to practice.

Pine Tree took a deep breath and tried again, counting the rhythm under his breath to the music. "Left foot, slide right foot, right foot backwards, and- fuck!" he groaned, slamming a fist on the marble counter.

Bill chuckled lowly, and though the music probably masked his laugh, Pine Tree turned around in confusion. His face paled when he saw Bill standing there, and his whole body turned around to face him. "Oh, hi! S- sorry, I didn't hear you come in. Oh God, I would've-" Pine Tree moaned.

Bill stalked forward, using a hand to close Pine Tree's mouth. "Close your mouth and stop talking for once, Pine Tree. You'll catch flies," Bill purred sweetly.

The brunet flushed, and he scratched the back of his neck. "I just thought- I mean- I didn't want to-" he stuttered. Bill took his hands in his and pulled him close to his chest, making the boy yelp in surprise. He chuckled deeply, and slowly danced Pine Tree to a bigger spot on the dance floor.

"First of all, this song of yours is not the right beat for a waltz," Bill noted, nodding to the radio on the counter.

Pine Tree kept his mouth shut, but he flushed even further in embarrassment. "I know, I just can't stand the old waltz dances," he said quietly.

"That's alright," Bill said with a shrug, "I just gotta push you harder, then."

"The song has a faster beat," Bill explained with a grin when Pine Tree looked at him in confusion. Then he clicked his tongue. He tapped his foot to the beat of the song, and mouthed the lyrics. He pushed forward, making the brunette go backwards with his right foot. Then he moved right, forcing him left. "Rise up, rise down. Keep together," Bill muttered.

"I'm trying," the boy replied through gritted teeth.

 _"We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when, but I know we'll meet again some sunny day,"_ Bill sang under his breath. His singing seemed to calm Pine Tree down, and the boy's shoulders relaxed under its spell.

 _"Keep smiling through, just like you always do, 'til the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away,"_ Bill sang again, squeezing his partner's hands in reassurance. He laughed under his breath, amused by Bill's quiet singing. He swayed with Bill more confidently, their steps becoming more and more synchronized. Bill grinned to himself.

"I missed your singing," Pine Tree admitted quietly.

"Maybe I should do it more, hmm?" Bill breathed. The brunet smiled softly.

 _"So will you please say hello to the folks that I know, tell them it won't be long. They'll be happy to know, that as you saw me go,"_ Bill breathed, almost whispering the words into his partner's ear. He could tell he sent shivers down his spine with the way his shoulders stiffened slightly, and then relaxing when Bill pushed him forward. He didn't finish the rest of the song, his voice caught in his throat as he looked into the brown eyes he cursed for half a decade. Curious, intelligent eyes he thought he'd never fall for.

Then without warning, Bill dipped his partner, Pine Tree's back almost touching the cold floor.

"Bill!" he screamed in panic, but not loud enough to wake up his sister. Bill laughed quietly.

"Got two left feet, Pine Tree?" Bill questioned.

"This seems familiar," he grumbled, his hands clawing into Bill's shoulders like a lifeline.

"Just be glad I didn't turn you upside down again. I'll take it easy when we get to the party, I promise," Bill laughed, twirling him once, twice, before going back to the original waltz steps like nothing happened.

"As if," the brown-haired boy scoffed.

Then, as if a spark ignited when Bill dipped him, Pine Tree was the one leading now, taking Bill's hands and pushing forward. Bill's eyebrows rose up in surprise, before he relaxed and smirked. "Glad to see you being dominant for once, Pine Tree," Bill drawled, letting him lead.

"And I wasn't in that cave?" he sneered. Bill had to admit, that comment almost threw him off guard. He kind of liked this side of Pine Tree. But he didn't want this alter ego to stay forever. Just for tonight.

Pine Tree was in control for a while, clumsy at first, but getting progressively confident as they twirled and danced. Bill muttered instructions, and he followed every single one, once even dipping Bill in the heat of the moment.

The song was close to an end, and Bill changed up their positions, becoming the leader once again. He twirled the boy once, stepping back and dipping him close to the floor.

Then he closed the gap between them, and didn't realize until now how much he wanted to close that small space between them. The fire in his heart swelled and cried out in happiness, and he felt Pine Tree's arms snake around his neck, staying there. A spark was ignited between them, and it was the shy, introverted boy who gave in to the kiss further, sliding his tongue into Bill's mouth.

Bill shuddered in delight, and he let his lover up, letting him tighten his grip on Bill's neck. He wanted so much more than this, and he could tell that so did the other. So he broke apart the kiss.

"Your room or mine?" he murmured, his breath hot on Pine Tree's face.

"Mine, obviously," the brunet laughed, drawing a line on Bill's jawline subconsciously, his eyes a little cloudy with lust. Their hearts warmed together, beckoning each other to come closer, to _be_ closer. Hearts buzzing, bodies molding together.

Bill grinned, and opened his mouth to speak. But someone upstairs beat him to it.

"I told you two, no funny business in this household!" Shooting Star shouted from upstairs.

Bill and Pine Tree froze in their spot, looking at each other in shock. Then, they melted into teasing smiles. Bill planted a kiss on his forehead, and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Next time," he promised. 

"Next time," Dipper echoed, his eyes giving off a far away look.

Pine Tree smiled softly as Bill walked back upstairs, to Dipper's room to finally get eight hours of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mabel Cockblocking Pines strikes again :D. Like c'mon Dipper, calm yourself and your hormones. But hey, a fluffy-warm chapter to distract ourselves from angst, who wouldn't want that?


	18. "It beats for the person you love, Bill."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fine line between Gravity Falls and reality is very thin by this point. So imma just say that some of our culture references and stuff worms their way to Gravity Falls, but I think most of you already knew that lol. I couldn't help but putting one of my favorite songs here okay, sue me if you want.

_"Oh I'd confess, I'd confess in a room where I'm blessed._  
_But he didn't come and speak to me,_  
_Or put my heart at ease._  
_And I believe that half the time I am a wolf among the sheep_  
_Gnawing at the wool over my eyes._  
_I led the revolution in my bedroom and I set all the zippers free._  
_We said, No more war, no more clothes! Give me peace._  
_Oh kiss me!"_

**[Hurricane | Panic! at the Disco](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uSHILSLMqE) **

* * *

Dipper sipped his wine, puckering his face from the slight sourness. Beside him, Mabel giggled. "You really have to get used to drinking fine wine, Bro-Bro," she teased, nudging his side.

"You drink wine at least twice a week because of your rich ass girlfriend. I'm not used to this," Dipper scoffed.

"You have a boyfriend who can literally find gold off the street," Mabel snickered. Then she grinned. "Which makes you a gold-digger, since you dig up the gold for him," she said. Dipper pressed his foot against hers, Mabel letting out a satisfying yelp.

"Those dress shoes were eight hundred dollars!" Mabel yelped, lifting her foot up to inspect it. Dipper rolled his eyes, placing the half empty wine glass on the table.

"And _my_ dress shoes were five hundred dollars, and they're still squeaky clean. Besides, your girlfriend paid for them," Dipper grinned.

"Eh, true," Mabel said, shrugging her shoulders.

"So, where are your friends? Shouldn't you be dancing with them or something?" Dipper asked his sister, letting his bow tie a little looser. It was suffocating him.

"They're over there with their dates," Mabel giggled, nodding her head to Grenda and Candy. Candy was dancing with a tall boy with nice curly hair, and she giggled once in a while when the man spoke. Grenda was slow-dancing with her long-time boyfriend, Marius. It surprised Dipper to see they were still together. "Aren't they so cute?" Mabel gushed, referring to Marius and Grenda.

"Uh, yeah," Dipper said, boredly, "what about Pacifica? Aren't you going to dance with her too?"

"Dude, you make it sound like you want to get rid of me," Mabel said with a roll of her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. She was wearing a beautiful gown that went to the floor, purple and shiny, her headband matching with it. Pacifica, insisting they went in matching colours, wore the exact same thing, but was strapless, due to her parents' insistence. Even after they got the hint that Mabel and Pacifica were inseparable, they still pushed their daughter to entertain the male guests. It got on both Mabel and Pacifica's nerves, but they promised not to speak back to her parents, in case they got too angry and pushed Mabel away.

"What? Of course not! Mabel, I'm just standing here doing nothing. You're here to have fun, I'm just here because you forced me to," Dipper pointed out.

"Which is exactly why I'm here," Mabel stated proudly, "Pacifica is busy entertaining some German guests, and Bill is dancing with some chick over there who asked him to dance. You gotta let loose, Bro-Bro! Just for a little bit. Please?" she begged, batting her eyelashes at him with puppy dog eyes.

Dipper huffed, stuffing his hands into his slacks pockets. "Mabel, I don't-" Dipper began.

"Come _on,_ Dipper! We've been here for two hours and the only thing you've done so far was dance with Bill four times, drink some wine, then stood here like a statue," Mabel complained.

"Well, what else am I supposed to do?" Dipper asked dryly.

"Have fun! Dance with someone else! Talk to someone else other than me or Bill! Play some truth or dare with some college kids over there!" Mabel shouted, waving her arms around.

"Since when did the Northwests allow truth or dare in a party?" Dipper snorted.

"Ever since McGucket took their old house, of course," Mabel snickered.

"So, truth or dare?" Mabel suggested, batting her eyelashes again innocently. Dipper grumbled, rolling his eyes. 

"Well, I mean-" he began.

"Doesn't matter, let's go!" Mabel chirped, grabbing his arm and steering him away from the food.

She led them to a group of young kids like them, all sitting down in a circle on the floor. The gowns on the girls took up most of the space, and some even had to pile it up on their lap. A bottle was in the middle, to pick random players, probably. "Hey, is it all right if me and my bro join in?" Mabel asked, not waiting for an answer as she pushed Dipper's shoulders down to make him sit. The one in charge, a young man with black hair and bright green eyes, grinned and nodded. Dipper's eyes widened.

"Rookie? Wh- what are you doing here in a-?" Dipper stammered.

Damon smiled, sheepishly this time. "My family actually owns a rich company for computer programs and shit," he explained.

"Then why are you working at the Shack if you're so rich?" Mabel inquired. Damon shifted.

"I didn't like being given money. I wanted to work for it," he admitted.

"Okay, okay enough of the damn sappy stuff. Let's get this started!" one of the players whooped. Everyone agreed, and Damon reached over and spun the bottle.

It kept spinning, and spinning, and spinning, until eventually, the head of the bottle stopped right in front of Mabel.

The kids oohed and hooted, and Mabel smiled with flushed cheeks.

"So, Shooting Star, truth or dare?" a voice purred.

Dipper craned his neck to the sound of the voice, and inhaled a sharp breath when he saw Bill standing a few people away from him, his head resting on his hand like a bored kid listening to a story. People cheered on Mabel, waiting for her answer. "Well?" Bill drawled once more, staring at Mabel with a curious look. Mabel shifted her weight, her jaw ticking as she tried to think of which one she should do.

"Dare," she finally said with a proud grin.

Dipper mentally groaned. By the looks of it, Bill was the one giving out the dares and truths, as everyone looked over to him as soon as she answered. Bill grinned, a glint in his eyes. "I dare you to call your Grunkle Stan on speaker phone and tell him that you lost his favourite underwear," Bill told her. If Dipper was sipping a drink right now, he would've done a spit take. How the hell did he know about _that?_

Mabel, the oh-so-daring one, grinned and shrugged, pulling out her phone from her purse. She scrolled through her contacts and tapped on a particular one, the phone beginning to ring. Everyone quieted down, and the waltz music played in the background like some action movie waiting for something to happen. Then, the phone stopped ringing.

"Yeah?" a gruff voice called out.

"Oh, hi Grunkle Stan!" Mabel said in greeting.

"What now, kid? It's like, four in the morning where I am," their Grunkle grunted out.

"Oh, I kind of just wanted to tell you something, if that's okay," Mabel laughed.

"What, did your brother finally get himself a girl or something?" he asked, hopeful. Dipper fought back a smirk. Mabel was not so fortunate, and a smile broke through her face.

"Sort of," she said hesitantly, glancing at Bill. Bill motioned for her to continue, a smirk on his lips. "But it's not that. I may or may not have lost your favourite pair of underwear in the dryer," Mabel said solemnly.

"YOU DID- WHAT?! Wait, wait, you're eighteen, right?" their Grunkle screeched. Mabel had to pull the phone away from herself, and everyone fought back snickers.

"Uh, yeah?" Mabel answered in confusion. She looked over at Dipper, and Dipper shrugged in response.

"Oh- oh, okay, good," their Grunkle breathed. Then, they heard an audible inhale. "MABEL FUCKING PINES, I WILL GO OVER THERE AND FUCKING TEACH YOU A LESSON ABOUT HURTING MY UNDERWEAR, YA HERE ME? SON OF A BI-" Mabel ended the call as soon as she can.

The group of people playing the game of truth or dare laughed, causing them to get weird looks from the older, snobbier people dancing on the dance floor. "My Gods, that was gold!" Bill laughed, holding his stomach from the laughter. His top hat fell forward, and he tipped it back to the top of his head with a grin on his face.

"Well, Damon, I guess you have to spin once more. You're safe for now, Shooting Star," Bill said. Damon chuckled, and reached over and spun the bottle again.

Dipper boredly leaned back and watched the bottle spin. Some kids were so into the game that they leaned forward, their eyes burning into the bottle as if they could stop it to them with a stare. He found it weird that this game was supposed to be that people wouldn't want to be picked, but here they are, all of them fighting to be in front of the bottle.

It spun around once, twice, three times, before it finally slowed down. It went to a girl who was almost about ready to faint, a grinning boy with acne, then to Mabel, then to...him.

Dipper stiffened, and looked around the new mansion like a deer caught in the headlights. Mabel couldn't help but laugh, almost falling down on her butt. Damon smiled at him kindly, almost apologetically like it was his fault that the bottle went over to him (which it might've been, since he spun it). Bill's grin returned, and his bored demeanor was replaced by a crazy, tipsy Bill.

Bill rubbed his hands together like a super villain, and the twenty-some teenagers and young adults leaned forward to hear his amazing dare or truth, and Dipper gulped. His mind short-circuited, and he couldn't choose between truth or dare. Should he choose truth, where Bill might ask him the most embarrassing question, or dare, where Bill might make him do something incredibly stupid like splattering a pie over the butler? People flicked their eyes between Bill and Dipper, waiting for Dipper's answer so they could let this be over with.

"Dare," he squeaked out, the word barely leaving his mouth before Bill answered.

"Kiss me," Bill drawled, not even missing a beat to answer.

The group went quiet, and even Mabel's laughter subsided. Everyone whipped their heads to Dipper in confusion, and the only one who seemed to be smirking was Bill. Bill, the one guy who never seemed to be fazed by anything. And especially wasn't fazed by the disappointed whispering girls or the confused guys.

"Bill, that is barely a da-" Dipper began with a scowl.

"Probably doesn't seem one to everyone else, but I can tell it is for you," Bill answered with a grin, "you've kissed me countless times before, but it was always in private. What, are you scared to show the world that you're dating me?"

Dipper's face flushed red, and more whispers broke out. It made him feel insecure, but not in the way Bill was thinking. If he didn't know Bill as well as he did now, he would've thought Bill was _bitter_ about this, that Bill was faking his innocent smile at him. "It's not that. I just didn't see why I would-" Dipper hissed.

"The park, the Shack, this _party_ , and every single time I tried to get close to you, you walk away. So, what is it going to be? Kiss me, or leave this group like a chicken?" Bill asked innocently. The group shifted uncomfortably, and someone oohed. The asshole quickly got shut up by a friend.

"Kiss him, kiss him, kiss him!" the group chanted after a quiet moment.

Bill's smirk returned at the chants, and Dipper felt like shrinking away. Even Mabel, who should've been on his side, began to chant. She even nudged him towards the smirking boy with a laugh, but Dipper wouldn't budge. "C'mon, Pine Tree! Just one kiss on the lips and that's all you have to do. At least for now," Bill purred. The group collectively laughed, stopping their chanting to give Dipper time to think. _Just one kiss on the lips._ That's all he had to do. He shouldn't be embarrassed about Bill. He wasn't, anyway. How come he was so hesitant to doing so, if that was the case? _Because you don't trust him,_ a voice said behind the back of his head. _Of course I do. He's Bill,_ Dipper told himself boldly. Then why did he feel like this was _wrong?_

But he pushed the bad feeling away and licked his lips. He stood up and shuffled over to Bill, keeping his head down as he did so. He wished he had his hat with him to hide his eyes, but Mabel forced him to lose it for the night because the hat didn't match his suit. Some boys snickered, and some girls looked up at him in awe, not believing that he'd go through with this. He wanted to tell them that he couldn't believe it either. The things he did for Bill was incredible. And extremely stupid.

He couldn't help but smile to himself at that thought. He did incredibly stupid things for Bill, and what he was going to do much later on would be proof of that, but he couldn't stomach the idea of kissing Bill in public. Yep, he was insane.

Dipper knelt to one knee in front of Bill, scowling at the blond boy's face. "The things I do for you," he hissed with a slight shake of his head.

"The things I do for _you,_ " Bill chirped back, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned forward to Dipper. "So, are you going to back up now?" Bill whispered, his breath hot on Dipper's face. He suddenly remembered last night and felt a blush make its way throughout his face. Oh God, they almost did _it_ with Mabel in the house. Seriously, he was insane.

"Not unless you back up first," Dipper told him innocently, not realizing he said it louder than intentionally until the group of teens and young adults oohed and wooted.

Bill grinned at him, his eyes lit up with amusement. "C'mon, Pine Tree, too sca-?" Bill began with a mocking tone. Then Dipper grabbed him by his suit collar and pulled him to his face, kissing him hard on the mouth.

Bill was the one to be caught off guard this time, and didn't have time to respond to the kiss properly before Dipper pulled away with a satisfied grin of his own. Bill was left with a dumb-founded look, and subconsciously lifted a hand to touch his bottom lip gingerly. Dipper's grin widened. He bit Bill's bottom lip before he pulled apart.

"There. One kiss. Happy?" Dipper teased, getting up from his spot on the floor in front of Bill to go back to his original spot. The group playing truth or dare watched him intently, with mixed looks of surprise and shock on their faces. Dipper, feeling the twenty or so stares burning into him, shrank back with a flinch. His moment of confidence vanished, and he was now the shy, introverted Dipper Pines once more. Mabel patted him on the back reassuringly.

"So, another round?" Damon squeaked out.

The group snapped out of their daze and they all nodded, a whole bunch of them glancing at Dipper and Bill with mixed looks of surprise and pleasant satisfaction.

Before Damon had the chance to spin the bottle again, both Bill and Dipper got up. They looked at each other in surprise. "What, going somewhere to do that again in private?" Mabel teased them. The truth or dare group collectively laughed. Dipper gave his sister a look and stuffed his hands into his suit pockets.

"Just needed some air," Dipper grumbled, walking away to the open dance floor to make his way out the door of the new Northwest Mansion.

The new mansion was a little smaller than the old one, but it was still decent and could probably buy fifty of the Mystery Shacks and still have enough money in it to buy a company. Dipper sighed through his nose and weaved out of the crowd, hearing the music stop to be changed to one of the most iconic songs to be played in a Northwest party; The Death of a Bachelor.

Dipper's steps almost faltered when he heard the beginning, but kept going. He loved the song, probably the only song he would tolerate at a party, but he needed air, or else he was going to suffocate. Especially with Bill around. He can't face him until the time comes to ask.

But, almost expectantly, someone grabbed both of his shoulders and turned him around, his face collided with a familiar feeling chest. _"Do I look lonely? I see the shadows on my face,"_ Bill sang, grinning down at Dipper.

Dipper scowled, trying to wrench himself away from the boy. But Bill held onto his arms tight, and Dipper was forced to be with him on the dance floor for god-knows-how many times. "Bill, I don't feel like it right now," he huffed.

"So? I do," Bill chirped.

"It's a two person commitment to dance, Bill. Maybe later," Dipper deadpanned.

"Isn't this your favourite song to be played at parties?" Bill inquired with a small frown.

He stiffened. "How did you-?" Dipper stammered.

"Shooting Star told me. She actually told me so I could request the song," Bill told him.

"Wait, you? Wh- when did you-?" Dipper squeaked.

"An hour ago. Took them a while too, I wanted to dance to this since we came here," Bill grunted.

"Bill-" Dipper began with wide eyes.

"Aw, stop being a party pooper for once and let's dance. I promise I'll let you go when the song finishes," Bill promised. Dipper looked into his dark eyes, grinding his teeth together.

"Fine," Dipper scowled. Bill smiled down at him, and dragged his feet to a clear spot on the dance floor.

 _"I'm walking the long road, watching the sky fall, the lace in your dress tangles my neck, how do I live?"_ Bill sang out, his crescendo vibrating through his chest as he pressed Dipper down to the floor. Dipper yelped, feeling Bill's chuckle vibrate through his chest. His heart pounded in his own chest, for several reasons.

"You told me you'd take it easy!" Dipper complained.

"I've been taking it easy since we came here, Pine Tree. We need to spice things up or else I might fall asleep on you," Bill laughed, twirling him once, twice, a third time so that Dipper's head spun.

_The death of a bachelor, oh, letting the water fall. Oh, seems so fitting for happily ever after. Oh, how could I ask for more? A lifetime of laughter, at the expense of the death of a bachelor._

Bill laughed at Dipper's fear, and, with a wide grin, turned him upside down.

"You should've told me we were tangoing, or else I would've left a long time ago!" Dipper snapped over the loud, pounding music. Bill shrugged, his posture relaxed and smooth, like he's been doing this for years. And, if Dipper had to guess based on his skills, he probably had.

"The song's too slow for tangoing, but we can do it right now somewhere else a little bit more private," Bill purred, his eyes clouded over with lust.

"Bill, we're at a _party,_ " Dipper hissed, feeling his neck tingle with flusteredness.

"Didn't stop me from trying," Bill said with a shrug, letting go of Dipper's hand to shoot him out.

"I hate you," Dipper grumbled.

"Mhm," the blond boy sang out, tapping his foot to the beat of the song. "Would you still hate me if I told you that I poured juice all over Miss Direction's dress by 'accident' when she said that you looked absolutely idiotic in that suit?"

He snorted, despite himself. "Bill, you seriously shouldn't have done that. Without Mabel, you would've been beaten up by Pacifica's thirty guards," Dipper told him. Bill shrugged carelessly.

"To be quite honest with you, Pine Tree," Bill said softly, "you drive me crazy when you're wearing suits."

Dipper didn't risk opening his mouth, afraid that if he did, he'd be a stuttering mess. So, he let Bill dance him away, his feet feeling like lead, but his mind racing with adrenaline. They changed positions, they laughed, they kissed maybe once or twice -okay, maybe more than that-, they dipped each other, and they overall lost track of time. They lost track of everything but themselves, lost in a moment they both wished would never end. And soon, they carried on the dances with three separate songs, then four, then five. Until eventually, Dipper couldn't tell how many.

Dipper almost collapsed against the blond boy dancing with him, his breaths coming in short and heavy. "Do you need a break?" Bill breathed, his own quick breaths matching with Dipper's. And then, feeling his feet almost give away from exhaustion and his mouth feeling like it's been trapped shut, Dipper fell against Bill's chest, breathing him in. He smelled a lot like cologne, mixed in with the forest smell and the stuffiness of the Shack. Dipper suddenly felt self-conscious, and realized that he must've smelled like sweat and dirty socks, a result of not showering in a while. Bill stiffened, then slowly, wrapped his arms around Dipper's back, holding him up. His arms were like a cage for Dipper, a cage that for once, he never wanted to break out of.

"I can't tell which of our hearts is beating," Bill chuckled, still not moving his arms away. He didn't want to let go of Bill anyway. Dipper still didn't reply, his mouth dry and clamped shut. For several reasons. Dipper looked up at the clock mounted on the wall above the staircase (kind of like in their old mansion), and sighed out a breath. He still had time. Still had a few hours before they had to go home and he ruined the moment.

"Pine Tree? Pine Tree? _Pine Tree?_ " Bill called out, shaking Dipper a little, but still not letting him leave from his arms. Some folks gave them weird looks (after all, they were two young teenagers in the middle of a dance floor, embracing and not speaking), but Dipper couldn't care less. "Were you even listening to me?" Bill chuckled.

"Sorry," Dipper apologized, "repeat what you said, please."

"I said," Bill said slowly, as if talking to a toddler or an almost deaf person, "you never really answered my question last time. Why does a heart beat?"

Dipper licked his lips, and buried his face into Bill's shoulder. He released a shuddering breath, and felt his heart rate slow down, slowing down the same rate as Bill's own heart. Their hearts were synchronized, both beating for each other. A strong, heavy beat that felt alive, vibrant and humming for the other. Without the other, their hearts would be gone and torn. It made Dipper's own heart ache. 

"It beats for the person you love, Bill," Dipper said quietly.

Suddenly, Bill pulled apart from him, and Dipper couldn't help but feel like he was alone again. He must've expressed the feeling in his eyes because Bill looked at him with softened eyes. Then, his eyes hardened and he pressed a hand to his face and growled. "Ugh," Bill snarled, "why the hell do I have to have _feelings?"_

Dipper's feet shifted uncomfortably. "Sorry, I didn't realize you'd-" Dipper mumbled.

"What? Oh- no, not that, Pine Tree. That's not what I meant," Bill said quickly, his eyes wide. "I just meant- you know. I never wanted to grow feelings. I mean, I had to fall in love in three years, which was part of the deal, but _jeez_ , I didn't realize-" Bill babbled.

"Fall in love in three years? Bill, what the fuck are you talking about?" Dipper asked in confusion, frowning. Bill went quiet, his expression turning from surprised and panicked to a stoic one.

"My uncle told me that I can't inherit the family money until I marry," Bill murmured. 

Dipper's tense face softened. "What?" he said quietly. Bill sucked in a breath, his fists clenching and unclenching with a nervous aura around it.

"I've been a failure all my life," Bill laughed bitterly, "I never knew my parents, or what they were, until my uncle told me that they died one day. He gave me three years to marry, just anyone I pick, and I can inherit the money and live my life. I wasn't supposed to fall deeply in love with you, Pine Tree, just enough so that you can marry me one day. But uh, it didn't quite work out as planned, huh?"

Dipper pursed his lips, and turned away from Bill. "And you're still planning to, uh...?" Dipper said, gesturing a hand pathetically. Bill chuckled, stepping away from Dipper, not looking into his eyes.

"Yes," he admitted, "but only if you want it too. I won't push you."

Bill cracked his knuckles on one hand nervously, and Dipper had the sudden impression that he was hiding something more than that. But he wouldn't push him tonight. It was probably something more to his uncle's deal than he let on, like information about his parents or something. Nothing serious.

"Of course I will, Bill," Dipper assured him softly, "we just need more time."

Bill flicked his eyes over to his in surprise. Then, slowly seeing that Dipper wasn't kidding, grinned. "That's- that's-" Bill stuttered happily. He cleared his throat, and started over. "That's wonderful news, Pine Tree! I'm going to go celebrate with some free wine," Bill laughed. He pivoted around and made his way over to the drinks. He craned his neck around to look at Dipper. "Are you coming?" he asked, a slight disappointment to his voice when he saw that Dipper kept his feet planted on the ground.

"You go ahead and knock yourself out, Cipher. I'm just going to have some fresh air for myself," Dipper told him with a small reassuring smile, jabbing a thumb behind him to the closed doors. Bill looked a little unsure, but let him go with a thumbs up (a gesture he probably picked up from Mabel), and practically skipped to the table with wine lined up for the guests.

Dipper let out a sigh, moving his bangs away from his face. Though he didn't mind his curly hair as much as it did to Mabel, he was seriously thinking of cutting it. Maybe take Bill's advice and cut the bangs short. After all, his birthmark was a part of him.

Then, flattening out his suit and feeling the familiar bump in one of the pockets, he made his way through the dance floor and out the big oak doors manned by a single guard who gave him a single nod. He walked to the Northwest garden, hearing crickets chirp louder and louder as he entered. He passed flowers and trees, bugs and squirrels, until he finally found the stone bench he was looking for. Dipper's lips twitched, and he sauntered over, plopping down to the stone seat.

He sat there in silence for a while, his mind as silent as his mouth. Crickets chirped and bright fireflies flew around himself, bringing a slight, nervous smile to Dipper's lips. God, why did he chose now? He had the worst timing in the world, but he still chose to do it. And now, being here at the party, a perfect place to say it and give it, especially after what Bill said to him when they danced, Dipper couldn't back up. Not even if he wanted. He was too far into this to even think of backing out.

So, with a shuddering breath, Dipper reached into a deep pocket of his suit and pulled out a small, dark blue velvet box.

He opened it, and looked at the ring inside. It was silver, a triangle at the top. The triangle was lined with yellow, almost glowing in the night. The silver of the ring showed his nervous face, and Dipper quickly closed the box. He spent all his college money on it, basically giving up his dream school, his _future_ , for this ring. But he knew in his bones that it would be worth it, when he sees Bill walking around wearing the ring like a proud winner.

"Bro, aren't you like, eighteen?" Mabel teased behind him.

Dipper didn't even turn his head, but instead stuffed the box back into his deep pocket, patting it down smoothly so the bump didn't show. "It's not an engagement ring," Dipper assured her, scooting over so she could take a spot beside him. Mabel sat down beside him, her arms around her midsection.

She gave him an encouraging smile. "So, what is it? Just a gift for Bill?" she asked in curiosity.

Dipper thought for a while. "Close," he admitted, scratching his cheek, "it's a promise ring."

Mabel's eyes softened. A ring glinted on her left ring finger, and she glanced down at it. It was the promise ring that Pacifica gave her, a purple and pink band that had a glittery star on it. Dipper had never seen her wear it in a long time, since Pacifica told her long ago that the promise ring didn't matter, since they were going to be engaged one day anyway. "A promise ring," Mabel repeated under her breath, "any particular...promise, other than the standardized 'I promise I will marry you one day' thing?"

Dipper chewed on his bottom lip, leaning forward to rest his weight against his elbows on his knees. "Many, actually," he sighed. "One of which, was a promise that I'd fall in love with him, only him. Another was that I'd- I'd never, ever hurt him. Other ones were like, I'd marry him one day, that I'd be there for him, blah blah blah. The last one, which I'm hoping isn't too much, but that I'd love him until I died. Maybe even in the afterlife. I know I just met him two weeks ago but- it feels longer, you know? Like we've met before and we've bonded but I just can't..." He trailed off with a concentrated look.

Mabel laughed softly under her breath. "Damn dude, that's more promises than Pacifica and I made combined," she laughed. Dipper rolled his eyes and pushed her playfully with a shoulder.

"Ugh, I hate you," he groaned. He paused, turning it over in his mind a little more. "But uh, is that a little too much, do you think?" Dipper whispered, leaning to his sister with nervous, glancing eyes. His sister rolled her eyes this time.

"It's Bill we're talking about. If anything, he'd take it as a challenge. He's going to like, stay up all night crafting you a ring and reciting fifty more reasons to give you a promise ring," Mabel told him, jokingly, but with a slight seriousness to her tone.

"Well, you're not wrong on that one," Dipper laughed, nudging his sister with an elbow. She almost pushed him off the stone bench with an impatient, grunting noise. "Right. No touchy-touchy on the midsection," Dipper said apologetically, rubbing the back of his neck.

"And no touchy-touchy with Bill around the pelvis area," Mabel teased.

"No promises," Dipper teased back with a carefree shrug.

Suddenly, Mabel's grin faded away, her expression changing into a small frown. The air around them changed from easy going to a hard, tense silence. It was always like that with Mabel. The world around her shifted to her mood. If she was happy, the Pines family was happy. If she was sad or angry, the Pines family became the same way. That was the reason why she became the family glue. Without her, the family would fall apart.

"You're going to marry him one day. That's one of your promises, right?" she asked softly, her tone unnaturally quiet and unyielding. Dipper felt a blush creep up his neck, and he rubbed the spot sheepishly.

"I mean, yeah. I'm planning to, at least. I mean, I just met him a few weeks ago," Dipper told her. Mabel smiled, happy for her brother. But even in the darkness, Dipper could almost feel her unhappiness from here.

"Mabel? Are you sure you're okay? You're gripping your gown pretty tightly there," Dipper pointed out. As if realizing she was, Mabel's grip on her long gown loosened, and her smile became apologetic.

"Sorry," she told him, "just a little jittery and mood-swingy."

Dipper chuckled. "I can see why. But I can also see something is bothering you. Mind telling me what's up?" Dipper asked her in concern. She let out a loosened breath, and tucked a bang away from her face.

"Nothing, nothing personal," she assured him. "I mean, I'm a little concerned with how fast you're going with Bill, but I can't interfere, can I?"

Dipper reached over and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "You have nothing to worry about, sis. Sure, Bill and I's relationship is going a little too fast, but I have it under control," Dipper soothed. He had to agree with her that a few weeks kinda was a little too fast for him to give a promise ring, but he couldn't help it. They do say that love has no time, or something of the sorts, and he was a smart kid. He knew what he was doing.

Mabel snorted. "A _little_ too fast?" she teased. Dipper elbowed her side, despite the fear of letting loose an angry Mabel.

"I worry about you, Dipper. Sometimes, you lock yourself in your room and don't come out until I say Bill wanted you out," Mabel told him.

"Puppy love. It'll wear off after a while. Like you and your past relationships," Dipper answered with a lopsided smile. Mabel _pssshed_ , and waved a hand in dismissal.

"You know, you and I should go back to Laser Quest soon. I heard they're having a party for their fifteenth anniversary with free passes for anyone older than sixteen," Mabel told him with a grin.

"Wait, really? I didn't even know they let adults in," Dipper said in surprise.

"Well, they do now. We haven't been there since we were fourteen, man! Time to reminisce old times when you puked in the corner because of all the bright, neon lights," Mabel whooped.

"I told you not to talk about that," Dipper laughed, stepping on her foot. She yelped, giving him a dirty look.

"And didn't you fire at the mirror of yourself for five minutes before you realized it was you the whole time?" Dipper snorted. Mabel stepped on his foot.

So, they began to talk about Laser Quest and Gravity Falls. About old memories Dipper remembered and apparently did not. He remembered puking in a corner, but didn't remember fighting in the "future" with Mabel for Soos (which, he still couldn't wrap his mind around and didn't believe Mabel). They talked and talked, for god knows how long.

"Remember when you got your head stuck in a tree because you found a squirrel?"

"Remember when you tried ice skating in tenth grade but broke your front teeth as result?"

"Remember when you made those silly videos about fashion and posted them on the Internet?"

"Remember when you gave reverse CPR to the guy I had my first kiss with?"

"Wait, what? No!"

They laughed harder and harder each time, and had arms around each other like old buddies. They slapped their knees when they told a particular funny one, and comforted the other when they accidentally blurted out a memory that they shouldn't probably bring up ever again. It was only them for now, Dipper and Mabel Pines, the Mystery Twins.

"Oh man, that was good," Dipper laughed, the last of his laughter fading with Mabel's. Mabel just finished telling a story about her drama class in high school, where she accidentally spread dark red paint all over herself and the teacher thought she was dying from blood loss.

"You should hear about the time Pacifica called me mom when she was drunk," Mabel laughed.

"Oh my God, Mabel," Dipper groaned.

Mabel laughed at his discomfort, and shifted away from him. She pulled out her phone from her purse, and squinted at the bright light it emitted. She gasped softly, and stood up. "What? What is it?" Dipper asked in confusion, standing up with her.

"If you want to promise Bill before the party ends, you should do it now, Dip-Dop. It's twelve thirty. The party ends at one," Mabel grimaced.

Dipper's heart beat quickened. _Shit_. He lost track of time  _already?_

"Uh, do you happen to know where he is? I kind of...left him at the wine table," Dipper asked his sister sheepishly. She scoffed, rolling her eyes as she stuffed her phone back into her small purse.

"Before I found you here so I could see what's wrong with you-" Mabel began. Dipper gave her a weird look, and Mabel wrinkled her nose. "What? I was having twin senses!" she argued.

"Can't argue with that," Dipper grunted, motioning for her to continue.

"Anyway, I saw him help out Pacifica clean up a room for a drunk couple. He was being so nice to her! I'm glad our dates don't hate each other like I would expect," Mabel gushed.

"Oh, thanks. Any idea where the room would be, in case they're still tending the couple?" Dipper asked her.

"Left wing. Third door to your right," Mabel told him, waving him off. Dipper saluted her, and jogged away from the garden.

He passed the bored looking guard and entered the main floor of the mansion, the music playing loud and the guests still partying away full force. He looked to his left and found the left wing deserted. This wing was probably reserved for the guests who didn't need it, probably. Dipper, being the self-conscious one as always, smoothed out his hat hair and took a deep breath.

He exhaled and shook his head to clear negative thoughts, slipping his hand into a deep pocket. He felt the velvet graze his fingers and latched onto it, his hands tight around the small box that contained his heart, his promise. If he dropped it, it would be like dropping a million promises.

Dipper pranced into the dark, barely lit hallway, barely suppressing the smile on his face. He couldn't wait to see Bill's reaction to it, even though half of him was saying that there was a chance he wouldn't like it. This was Bill they were dealing with, and he was probably the most unpredictable person he ever met. Dipper still wondered if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

He counted the doors to his right until he found the third one down, and stopped in front of it, his shoes making a tiny squeak on the polished floor. His head filled with possibilities and different kinds of rejections, but he quickly shook them away. _This is crazy,_ his mind told himself, _you've just met him a little over two weeks ago and you're giving him a promise ring? How dumb_ are _you?_

Dipper swallowed the hard lump in his throat. _Not dumb. Smart. Because Bill is someone who would take my promises to the grave and would do the same for me. I lo- like him, and nothing can change that_ , he told himself. He had to mentally laugh at the irony of his statement. He almost said love. But he said like instead. Maybe he _was_ naive.

Dipper licked his dry lips and took a shuddering deep breath, and opened the door.

Before him stood Bill. But he wasn't alone. He was with Pacifica. Making out with her.

Their clothes were rummaged, and the zipper of Bill's slacks were unzipped, his suit open with the bow untied, Pacifica playing with his hair with a contented smile on her face as they continued to suck on each others' faces like leeches. Bill was smiling, a hand underneath Pacifica's shirt (she shed her gown to reveal leggings and a strapless top), his hand massaging her boob like it was natural. They didn't see him, of course they didn't, but as soon as they did, Bill's eyes widened, and he pushed Pacifica away with a hand.

The blue velvet box clattered to the floor with a hollow sound that reminded him of his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd say I was sorry but then I'd be lying, but I'll still say it. 
> 
> *Inhale* I'm sO SORRY.


	19. Shattered Souls & Pained Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good news and bad news about this chapter, folks. Bad news; it just gets worst for now. Good news; that's all the bad news.

_"Guess it's true, I'm not good at a one-night stand_  
_But I still need love 'cause I'm just a man_  
_These nights never seem to go to plan_  
_I don't want you to leave, will you hold my hand?  
_ _Oh, won't you stay with me?  
_ _'Cause you're all I need  
_ _This ain't love it's clear to see  
_ _But darling, stay with me."_

**[Stay With Me | Sam Smith](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB-5XG-DbAA) **

* * *

Bill scrambled away from Pacifica like she had the plague, quickly zipping up his pants like it was going to help. His eyes were wide with panic, and Pacifica just seemed dazed and confused by the sudden interruption. It was almost comical in Dipper's eyes, and he would've laughed if he had the strength.

"Pine Tree, it-" Bill began.

"What, are you going to tell me that you weren't just making out with Pacifica? I may be dumb, Bill, but I have eyes," Dipper said with a dry laugh, pivoting around on one heel. He grabbed the box off the floor and walked away without another glance behind him.

"Pine Tree, you have to listen to me!" Bill called out from behind him. Dipper kept walking, shoving his hands into his suit pockets with gritted teeth. His jaw ticked when he heard footsteps coming from behind him, and walked even faster, not caring where he was going, as long as it was away from _him.  
_

_"Pine Tree!"_ Bill barked, latching one hand onto Dipper's shoulder and turning him around.

" _What,_ Bill?" Dipper snapped, shaking off his hand from his shoulder.

"I'm- I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize-" Bill began with wide eyes.

"You didn't realize _what_ , Bill? That you were going to get caught? That I wouldn't be angry at you for making out with my sister's girlfriend?" Dipper snarled, turning his head away Bill. His chest bubbled with anger, almost to the point where he wanted to scream, to yell and hit Bill. But he couldn't, not with everyone watching.

"Please, just listen to me," Bill whispered, his face contorted with pain with agony, like it hurt _him_. Dipper wanted to laugh. But instead, let Bill continue on, just to humor him.

"I- I don't know what happened. One moment I was drinking wine, having fun with some guests, and then- then I was making out with _her_ and my body felt like it couldn't from the spot, I-" Bill babbled.

"That is honestly the worst lie you could think of, Bill, and I've heard some crazy shit from Mabel's past dates. Don't you _dare_ say you did that on accident, because I saw it, Bill, and I saw what you were going to do," Dipper hissed, his fists clenching in his suit pockets. Bill had one arm into his suit jacket and slipped in the other arm, his hands twitching.

"Pine Tree, I'm telling the truth! There- there was something in that wine. I never tasted anything like it and that's saying a lot. Someone drugged me," Bill said, begging for him to listen.

"Drugged?" Dipper laughed, "it's _wine,_ Bill. You can have a million drinks but still be sober enough to at least be aware that you were making out with someone else. You can't be drugged by alcohol, you fucker."

"If not drugged, then controlled. I seriously couldn't control my body. It- it felt like-" Bill stopped his sentence, running a hand through his extra messy hair. Hair _he_ should've messed up, not Pacifica.

"It felt like what? Bill, I've been drunk before, and I've never done this kind of thing, even at my worst. So please, stop pretending like it wasn't your fault and _leave me alone,_ " Dipper snarled.

"Pine Tree-" he began, stepping towards Dipper.

"Don't you _ever_ call me that again!" Dipper shouted angrily, stepping back subconsciously. Bill's eyes flashed with agony, and his hand reached out for Dipper. Dipper slammed his hand away, snarling.

"Dipper-" Bill said quietly.

"Don't call me that either. Don't call me _anything. You're never seeing me again_!" Dipper roared, his fists shaking by his sides. He felt his breath hitch, and his vision focused in and out. Bill, of all people. Bill, the most unpredictable person he knew. Why, why was he stupid? Why didn't he see him for who he truly was, a player with no intention to keep a heart? How come the thought of infidelity never crossed his stupid mind?

"Pi- Dipper, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't-" Bill cried.

"You're _sorry_? You were perfectly fine sucking faces with _her!_ Sorry doesn't cut it, Bill, and nothing you say can make me change my mind!" Dipper shouted, his eyes fixed onto Bill's pained ones. This time, he laughed humorlessly, shaking his head like all of this was a joke. "I can't believe I almost gave you a ring," Dipper laughed hoarsely. Bill's face scrunched up in pain. Good. 

"What will it take for you to believe me?" Bill asked him quietly.

"Nothing. I'm done with your lies, Bill," Dipper answered dryly.

He pivoted around, and made his way back to the open room, his heart heavy in his chest. Ugh, he was so _stupid._ Of course Bill would play him like that, of course Bill didn't actually like him. He was another pawn in Bill's game, and he was done playing in it. Fuck, he was going to give him a _promise ring_. A fucking promise ring that he spent all his own money on, just so he could see Bill be happy. He should've listened to Mabel, he should've realized sooner that Bill was a prick and an idiotic without a real heart. An idiot who could never love, and Dipper still thought he could help in some way.

Dipper weaved through the dancing couples on the dance floor, his teeth grinding together. _I don't care about Bill, I don't care. I don't care about him making out with Pacifica, I don't care about him, I don't care if he went and died, I. Don't. Care,_ Dipper screamed at himself, walking out of the double oak doors.

He inhaled deep, feeling the music melt away him. Though he was somewhere by himself again, the weight still pressed onto his shoulders. His heart still felt like it was going to shrivel up and die, and his mind screamed at him for being so damn stupid. So, so stupid. So fucking stupid for falling for Bill Cipher. Bill Cipher, someone who probably would get over him within two hours. Bill Cipher, someone who probably faked his tears back there.

His back was jerked back and he was turned around in an instant. Before he could react, lips crashed onto his. Bill's lips.

Bill kissed him hard, his hands clenched around Dipper's wrists. It wasn't a kiss to say sorry, but a goodbye one. The kiss was hard and firm, and Bill moved his lips like he didn't want it to end. Dipper didn't want to it to end either.

But the reality of Bill's actions crashed back onto him and Dipper's eyes widened. He pushed Bill away as hard as he can, and as a result, Bill fell back to the pavement on his butt.

 _"I HATE YOU!"_ Dipper screamed at the fallen Bill. Bill looked up at him with a pained look, his eyes wide. "I hate you so much, Bill Cipher. I have never hated anyone as much as I hate you, and I don't want to see you ever again!" Dipper yelled once more, stepping forward.  _I hate you, I hate you, I hate you,_ his mind screamed. Until eventually his words to,  _I hate myself._ Because while it was Bill's fault for all of this, it was his fault he trusted him.

"Dipper, I'm so sorry I won't do it ag-" Bill begged. He was cut off when Dipper shoved a hand into his pockets and threw a small blue box at his chest. Bill caught it with a hand, looking down at it in confusion. Dipper would've found it funny seeing Bill look so vulnerable and weak, but he didn't feel like laughing. He felt like screaming and walking away from Bill forever.

"Keep it. Toss it. Sell it. _I don't care,_ " Dipper snarled, "I was going to promise you that I'd never hurt you, but I can't keep promises that you already broke for me."

Bill's already pained eyes flashed with an emotion Dipper couldn't identify. His crestfallen face said everything, and Dipper's throat closed up. "Leave," Dipper began quietly, "don't you even _dare_ to show your face back at the Mystery Shack."

Bill swallowed, his Adam's Apple bobbing. "Where will I-" he began.

"I said, _I DON'T CARE!_ " Dipper screamed. "Buy an apartment, live under the streets, live with Pacifica, I. Don't. Care. As long as you don't show your face near my property ever again, I don't care. Don't even try calling me, or talking to Mabel. You do that again and I swear to God you won't be leaving Gravity Falls with all limbs attached to your body."

"Pine Tree, I l-" Bill began. Then he clamped his mouth shut, swallowing a lump in his throat.

Dipper scowled down at Bill, feeling the anger sear through his heart. "I actually thought I was going to marry you," Dipper said quietly, bitterness coating his words. He sounded so cliche, but he honestly didn't care. "I thought you were the one. And then you do _this,_ " he snapped, causing Bill's eyes to flash red. From anger, from pain, Dipper couldn't tell. He felt his eyes blur from the incoming tears, and Dipper held them back with a shaky breath. He couldn't tell what emotion was taking over right now; anger, sadness, or disappointment.

Someone walked up beside Bill, crouching down next him. Dipper's gaze turned to Pacifica Northwest, and Pacifica shriveled back from his gaze. She dropped the hand on Bill's arm, her face hot with embarrassment. Or anger. He couldn't tell, and he didn't care.

"And you," Dipper hissed, "for once I thought Mabel made a good choice. I guess both of us were wrong." Pacifica's eyes watered, and she opened her mouth to speak. But, Dipper didn't want to hear another poor excuse from either of them. He was tired of this. Tired of _lies._

Dipper turned around and left Bill and Pacifica sitting there, the sobs barely breaking out from his chest.

His eyes were blurred as he walked to the garden, his chest tight with pain. He kept walking, kept moving his feet to a place he didn't know. As long as he was away from Bill, he would be okay.

When he found a tree with good shade, Dipper dropped to his knees, resting his body against the bark of the tree, sobs hitting his chest as he let one out, one after another. He sobbed for himself, a legacy of a broken heart he couldn't fix. He sobbed for Bill, a person who he thought could rebel against their cruel soul. He sobbed for another lost relationship, his heart to be never given back by a selfish man who took it without permission. He cried out for two hearts that could never be bounded together the same again.

A sudden weight plopped down beside him, and warm, small arms wrapped around his back.

Dipper let loose another strangled cry, and leaned his head to his sister's shoulder. His breaths came in short and ragged, and his heart beat heavily in his chest, reminding him that Bill didn't take it all, at least for now. They sat there, under the tree, for god knows how long, but Dipper was glad she was here. He would've stayed here until morning if he could, and he would've found a deep hole to crawl into and stay in.

But, a couple minutes later, when Dipper's ragged breathing and hiccups subsided enough for him to talk properly, Mabel pushed his head away from her shoulder, frowning at him in worry. "Do you want to talk about it?" Mabel asked him quietly.

"Not really, no," Dipper answered, rubbing his nose with a sleeve pathetically. Mabel flattened out his hair to calm him down, looking down at her brother with a furrowed brow.

"He rejected you that hard, huh?" Mabel chuckled lightly. Dipper's stomach twisted, and his heart slowed down. She didn't know.

"Mabel-" Dipper choked out. Then the vision of seeing Bill entangled with Pacifica, kissing each other like there was no one in their lives they should be saving that up for, and he belched. Bill meant everything to him, but Pacifica meant the world to Mabel. They've known each other since they were kids. And Dipper only knew Bill for two weeks and he already felt like this- like shit covered with more shit. Oh God, what was he going to tell Mabel?

"Shhh, it's okay, Dip-Dip. He still likes you, right? Maybe you just asked him too fast," Mabel soothed, not seeing the sudden panic in his eyes as she rubbed circles on his back soothingly.

"Mabel, please- please, _please_ don't talk to Pacifica ever again," Dipper begged, wiping his nose once more. Snot trailed his sleeve, but he didn't give a rat's ass.

"What? Pacifica?" Mabel asked him in confusion. "What did she do? Flirt with Bill?" Then she sighed, leaning back against the tree. "Dip, Pacifica flirts a lot, and so do I. Nothing personal, we always come back to each other, ya know? She's not going to-"

"Bill cheated, okay?!" Dipper snarled, the last of his nerves getting the best of him. She didn't understand. Of course she didn't understand. Dipper laughed humorlessly under his breath, rubbing his eyes with a disgusted look.

Mabel kept quiet, allowing him to get himself together. Then, she frowned and tilted her head to the side. "Cheated? Like, kissed another person, flirted with them, or-?" she inquired. She saw the look on his face, and her face fell. "Oh jeez..."

"He was about to have _sex_. He was making out with another person," Dipper breathed, taking a shuddering breath. "I thought he cared about me," he whispered under his breath.

"Aw, Dip. Of course he does. He's just- drunk, I think. But, what I don't understand is, why he would-" Mabel began, her brows pulled together in a concentrated look.

"Maybe because he just wanted to use me. Besides, he can get any girl off the street if he wanted," Dipper said with a bitter taste in his mouth. Mabel's frown deepen, and the gears in her head seemed to be working overtime.

"Bill cares about you in so many ways, Bro-Bro. He wouldn't just-" Mabel began softly.

"Pacifica," Dipper began bluntly, the words leaving his mouth before he could stop them, "he cheated on me with _Pacifica._ "

Mabel took a sharp breath in. Then she relaxed, and shook her head. "No, no. It must be someone else, Dip. She wouldn't do anything like that," Mabel argued.

"Oh yeah? Then how come I saw Bill making out with her, both of them half naked, in the same room you told me they went into?" Dipper laughed humorlessly, throwing a pebble away from the ground beside him in pathetic anger.

"Liar," Mabel snapped, "she wouldn't do that. Not now. You must've seen another blonde bimbo."

"It was her, alright. Purple strapless dress, probably fake blonde hair? No one else would be her in that position, Mabel. It was Pacifica, and you know it too," Dipper snapped back. Mabel kept quiet, chewing on her bottom lip nervously. She spun her hair with one finger, looking away from Dipper.

"I don't believe it," she scoffed. "She wouldn't do that, Dipper. I don't believe it in any way."

Dipper's jaw clenched, and he opened his mouth to speak out a retort. Then, he closed his mouth, thinking better of it. She was denying it, and he couldn't force her to accept it. Let her see for herself soon, and maybe he'd step in.

"I'm going home," Dipper told her, standing up shakily from his position on the floor. His suit was now covered in dry leaves and mud, but he didn't care. He didn't seem to care about anything nowadays. All he cared about was his dignity, and he intended on keeping it.

"Home? Dipper, it's only-" Mabel began.

"No," he snapped, "I'm going home. I'm tired of this, Mabel."

His sister sighed out a loosened breath. "I'm coming with you," she told him, "but uh, how about-?"

"He's not coming back to the Shack, ever. There never was, or there never will be, a Bill Cipher in the Shack," Dipper answered coldly.

Mabel gave him a worried look, but shrugged it off. "I'm coming with you," she stated. Then she looked down at her gown, and stood up from her spot on the grass. Dry leaves clung onto the gown. "But you're driving. I have to pick these bad boys off in the car," Mabel said with a lazy grin. Dipper couldn't help but laugh at his sister's comical attitude. Always the positive one, even in the most dire situations.

They walked away from the garden, passing the mansion (Dipper tried his best not to glance at it), and entered the parking lot full of limos and sports cars. His old beat-up truck was the odd one out, sticking out from the fancy cars and limos like a sore thumb. He couldn't help but feel proud of himself and his sister. Though Mabel was dating one of the richest girls in the country, and Dipper had a bo- _ex_ who could find gold on the ground in a matter of seconds, they still chose to be modest and humble and stuck with his truck.

With a huff, Dipper entered his truck and climbed into the driver's seat, starting the car. Mabel closed her passenger door, and Dipper exited out of the parking lot slowly, his truck purring. He looked in the backseat mirror, waiting for Bill to start vrooming and making sound effects at the sound of his truck. His heart felt like someone stabbed it with a dull knife when he realized that Bill would never be here again, and shook his head to clear the thoughts. Mabel noticed his pain, and quickly turned on the radio. It made things worst. 'We'll Meet Again' started playing, and Dipper's hands on the steering wheel tightened until his knuckles were white.

Mabel leaned forward and rested a hand on the radio, and Dipper shook his head. "No, leave it on. The Shack is only fifteen minutes away," Dipper told her with a slight sour look, slowing down at the turn. Mabel hesitated, then sat back down against her seat, huffing out a breath. They drove around the parking lot until they found the entrance, with thankfully no one blocking their way.

Dipper got to the bend, and the wood in front him blocked his way. Dipper stopped the car. A guard knocked on his glass, and Dipper quickly rolled it down. "Is there a problem, sir?" Dipper asked as kindly as he can. In truth, he was a little pissed off right now. He just wanted to get home, but he won't be there any time soon if he fought with the police. Beside him, Mabel shifted uncomfortably, still picking leaves out of her dress.

"Oh no. Just a little warning for you and your friend," the man assured him, leaning in to the window. "The roads ahead are a little slippery from some maintenance that happened at approximately twelve twenty five. You two be careful out there," he finished, nodding his head and hitting the side of their truck. Dipper mumbled a thank you and stepped on the gas pedal, his truck purring.

"So, what do you wanna do when we get home? Movie night with Waddles and some ice cream?" Mabel asked jokingly, her tone coated with seriousness. Dipper sighed through his nose and went through a U-turn.

"Uh, yeah, sounds good. I guess," Dipper mumbled, not really paying attention to his sister. Mabel frowned, picking out a rather large leaf, then wrinkled her nose. Other than that, she didn't say or do anything to distract Dipper, just played with her gown and crossing and uncrossing her arms over her chest as they drove on.

The city lights blinded Dipper for a few moments, and he blinked to get them out of his eyes. He realized that his hands on the steering wheel were sweaty and clammy, and he wiped his hands on his pants. "Yo, you okay, Dip Dip? You look stressed," Mabel commented, momentarily glancing at him.

"Sorry, sorry," he mumbled, feeling sweat tingle his neck. "Just a little..." he began again, using one hand to gesture wildly. Mabel laughed softly.

"We're going to need more than a movie and ice cream. We're taking you to Greasy's Diner tomorrow," she told him.

"Greasy's?" Dipper snorted.

"Yeah, what's so bad about it?" Mabel argued.

"Nothing," Dipper assured her, "it's just that, we haven't been there since what? When we were fourteen?"

"That doesn't mean we can stop visiting," his sister chimed in.

"True, true," he shrugged. They entered a highway, and suddenly, Mabel began to laugh.

"What? What?" Dipper asked, a little surprised at her sudden laugh.

"Nothing, it's just that-" Mabel snorted out a laugh, "Pacifica? Cheating on me with _Bill?_ Like come on, Bro-Bro, you've _got_ to be funnier than that."

Dipper stayed quiet, his jaw ticking in annoyance. He figured that he should stay quiet and let Mabel deny it for a little while longer. After all, she'll know for sure tomorrow morning. If she doesn't, Dipper will show her that he was telling the truth by making Pacifica tell her.

"I told you not to trust him from the beginning," Mabel suddenly piped up, her tone full of disappointment.

Dipper's shoulders tensed, and he pressed down harder on the gas. "Yeah, well," he grunted, "he was a lost cause from the beginning, anyway. You were right. I was wrong. Happy now?"

Mabel frowned at her twin's pessimism, and crossed her arms over her chest tightly. "Of course I'm not happy," she whispered, "he hurt you."

Dipper chewed on the inside of cheek, his eyes still glued to the road. He had to squint to see the road, and wished that he took up Mabel's offer of getting eye contacts. But he was a little terrified by putting those things into his eyes, and he would never admit it to anyone. "And Pacifica hurt _you_. We were both hurt by people we thought cared about us," Dipper told her. Mabel's eyes flashed with anger, noting the anger there when he glanced at her for a split second.

"Will you quit it with the Pacifica thing? She wouldn't do that!" Mabel hissed.

"And I thought Bill wouldn't either!" Dipper snapped. Mabel suddenly went quiet.

"When we get home, we're going to eat all the tubs of ice cream in the fridge," his twin told him, "both of us need it more than ever."

"Well, you got that right," Dipper said under his breath, hunching over the steering wheel. His vision blurred, and he squinted harder into the dark highway. The only light that allowed him to see were the street lamps, but even those were too dim to let him see properly. He let out a string of curse words under his breath, and pressed on the gas harder when he saw that he was below the limit.  
  
He noticed his right hand twitch, and he forced it to still. But it just twitched harder, and Dipper let out an angry growl. "Dip?"

Dipper's left leg then began to twitch, and his vision blackened in and out. _"Dip?"_

Dipper's breath came in and out short, and he tried to swallow in more breaths, but it didn't seem to work. His heart pounded in his chest, and his ears buzzed, then popped, like he was in an airplane. It pained his ears, and he stopped the urge right in time to cover his ears with his hands. His vision blackened completely for a few seconds, and his right leg didn't seem to move from the gas pedal, moving his truck faster than he ever forced it into.

"Dipper, what's happening?!"

He felt arms latch onto his arms, tearing them away from the steering wheel as Mabel steered them away from a speeding car. Then, they were pushed back into their seat when Dipper's right foot pushed in farther, his right hand seeming to move on its own as it reached for the steering wheel and pulled them to the left lane.

Up ahead, a giant semi-truck came right for them. It blared out, and Dipper regained back full control of his body. But he was too late.

" _DIPPER, THE_ -!"

* * *

Bill watched Dipper's back prowl away, his eyes never tearing away from him. And when Dipper finally, _finally_ came out of sight, he let the tears come down.

Stupid, stupid him. First, he gain feelings, such as the guilt of lying to the boy he had to fall in love with, then he _cried_ over him. _Cried._ Since when did Bill Cipher do that? Since when did Bill Cipher  _care?_

Behind him, Pacifica slowly stood up, pulling a handkerchief from her purse, blowing into it with her mascara running down. Bill, on another day, would've teased her about her mascara and would never leave her alone for it. But today wasn't a normal day. For God's sake, he _made out_ with someone who wasn't _Dipper!_

He wiped his nose on a sleeve and stood up groggily, his feet feeling like sludge. If only Dipper pushed him away harder, if only he left scars on his body as a reminder of what he did. He probably would've hated the pain of it for once, but that didn't matter. He would much rather leave a million bruises on his own damn skin than to leave a single cut on Dipper's.

"Why did you do it with me?" Bill asked quietly.

Pacifica blew her nose once more, hiccuping before answering. "I- I don't know, I just...drank some wine and talked with some German guests and then- then _that_ happened and I-" Pacifica sobbed.

"You didn't _stop_ me!" Bill screamed, pivoting around to face the rich, blonde girl. "You let me go through with it, and you didn't even _stop_ me!" he snarled, his voice breaking. "Pine Tree..." he said under his breath, his breathing slowing down. Pine Tree hated him now. Hated him more than anything in the world. He didn't know why, but it stung his heart more than it stung his pride. And that scared him.

He faked those held-back tears over there, and over-exaggerated his voice breaks. Yes, he was surprised to see Pine Tree and was ashamed of himself, but not as much as he would let on to believe. So, why now? Why did the real tears start flowing _now?_

 _Because you lost him,_ his human mind whispered.

Bill wiped away his real tears with a disgusted look. Ugh, he needed out of this human body as soon as possible. He was catching actual _feelings,_ and he hated it. "You're not the only one who hated that, Bill," Pacifica said under her breath, dabbing her eyes with another handkerchief. "Oh my God, _Mabel_. What am I going to do?" she suddenly asked, her eyes wide with terror.

"I'm assuming Pine Tree already told his sister about what you did," Bill told her in disgust.

Pacifica's eyes flashed with anger. "Don't forget you did the same thing, you big idiot. If I remember, you were the one who kissed me first!" she snarled.

"And you didn't push me away!" Bill snapped, "my body wasn't in the right place, but yours was. I'm not here to blame, _you_ are."

"Me?" she scoffed, "excuse me, but wine can't completely dumb down a person. You were conscious when we made out, and so was I. We're both to be blamed here."

Bill frowned, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Pine Tree's small box was still clutched in one hand, and he refused to let go of it. "I wasn't conscious," Bill whispered harshly, "my mind...it kind of- _blacked out_ the whole time, and it- I kind of snapped back when Pine Tree saw us."

Pacifica inhaled sharply. "What?" she whispered.

Bill's brows furrowed. "You heard what I said," he said sourly.

"It's not that, I-" Pacifica stammered. Then she let out an irritated sigh. "Look, I have to go. I have to-" Her breath caught in her throat, and she cleared it to start over. "I have some explaining to do. I think you do, too. My parents might be looking for me," she said formally. Then she gave him a stiff nod, and walked away back to the house, leaving Bill to stand there stupidly.

With a shuddering inhale, Bill walked in after her. Not into the house, but to the side of the building. A side where no would find him.

He put a hand on the cold wood, and ran his fingers over it. The wood was smooth and not as worn out as the old mansion he was used to, and with a choked breath, slid down to the pavement. He curled up at the corner of the wall and pulled his feet up to his chest, letting the wind around him whip his hair around.

He didn't cry. He didn't sob, or feel his heart break into a million pieces as he saw in the romance novels Shooting Star forced him to read. He just sat there, his heart feeling empty, and not in the way one would think.

It was empty, deprived of any emotion.

Bill tried to force himself to cry, to cry out in pain for a lost boy he was probably never to get back. But his heart was too cold, too foreign to love. Maybe love was something he couldn't do, even in a human body. Lust, yes, but love? That was like telling a child to learn a million numbers of Pi in two seconds. It was improbable, _impossible._ Bill let out a breath of laughter, his shoulders shaking.

He was Bill Cipher, and he couldn't love.

He lifted his head from his arms, and saw that he was still latching onto the small, velvet box Pine Tree threw at him. He opened it with a flick of a hand, and sucked in a breath. A beautiful, yellow-lined triangle ring. He could tell even by just looking at it that the triangle was made out of gold, and that it would probably have costed a fortune and a leg to buy this. Jesus. Was Pine Tree so smitten by him that he had to give him a ring?

He would've laughed, would've teased Pine Tree by now, but he didn't find it in him.

As soon as he closed the box with a hand, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He stuffed the ring into one of his deepest pockets and scrambled for his phone. Shooting Star forced him to bring it, just in case, she said. Just in case he needed anything from them.

With a grunt, Bill pulled out the phone and checked the usually-black-sleek screen. The number that showed up wasn't one of the two numbers Bill memorized, and he frowned. He was disappointed, he had to admit, but he was curious.

So, he pressed on the green button (making sure to avoid the red button with his thumb), just as Shooting Star taught him, and pressed the phone to his ear to hear better, just as taught. "Hello?" he breathed into the phone, hopeful for a familiar voice asking him if he was alright. But instead, it was a strict sounding woman with a calm voice, making Bill's frown deepen.

"Is this, uh," the woman asked, some shuffling on the other end. He heard more phones call in the background, and even heard some crying. His brow furrowed. "William?"

"That's me, yes," Bill answered boredly, already tearing the phone from his ear and hovering his thumb over the red button. 

More shuffling. "Do you happen to be a close friend of the Pines family? Both cellphones have you under their emergency contacts," the woman inquired. Bill hesitated. Close friend? Emergency contact? Was he still a close friend to them, even?

"Yes," Bill finally answered. He held his breath, feeling the bad vibes coming from where he was.

"Oh. Then I'm so sorry for your loss, sir. Mabel and 'Dipper' Pines have gotten into a car accident. And from the looks of their half-crushed car, a serious one."


	20. "Honey, if you love me, will you please smile for me?"

_"All I do is lay around, two ears full of tears_  
_From looking at your face on the wall_  
_Just a week ago you were my baby_  
_Now I don't even know you at all_  
_I don't know you at all_  
_Well, I wish that you would call me right now_  
_So that I could get through to you somehow_  
_But I guess it's safe to say baby safe to say_  
_That I'm officially missing you."_

**[Officially Missing You | Tamia ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9WrzV1jxtA) **

* * *

_"_ _I don't care! Where is he?! He's-!"_

Dipper breathed in a deep breath, feeling his chest squeeze with it. His heart pounded heavily and slowly, and a steady beep slowly filled his ears.

_"Sir, you need to calm down. He's fine, he's just-"_

_"Did I ask you? Well, Dr. Alberto, I've heard that you killed your daughter in an accident. You are in no position into telling me what to do."_

Dipper's eyes flitted open, and he closed them again against his own will, and he swore to himself. His ears rang, and the sides of his head pounded. He couldn't feel his left eye. He slipped out of consciousness once more.

_"Pine Tree..."_

Dipper tried as best as he can to open his eyes, to move any part of his body to show that familiar voice that he was alive, and breathing. Wait. Wasn't he supposed to be mad at that familiar voice? For doing something? He couldn't remember. He just wanted to see a familiar face.

_"I'm so, so sorry. You're okay, you're okay, I promise. I made a-"_

His breathing caught in his throat, and the beeping got louder in his ears. Then it slowly got quieter, then louder. It stayed like that in his ears for what seemed like hours, and he couldn't concentrate on the familiar voice. He tried so hard to listen, to at least move his hands. He could feel a hand squeezing his left hand like a vise, and all he wanted was to squeeze back. _Fuck._ Why was he angry?

_"We'll meet again..."_

A corner of Dipper's lips twitched, and he tried so damn hard to squeeze his hand.

_"Don't know where, don't know when..."_

A choked sob. From him, or from the other boy, he couldn't tell. Then the warm hand holding Dipper's hand left, leaving Dipper in a cold, cold state. _Please don't go,_ Dipper begged quietly, _I want you here. I need you._

_"But I know we'll meet again some sunny day."_

A kiss on the forehead, and the boy Dipper desperately wanted back was gone.

* * *

Dipper felt bright lights shine into his eyes like a spotlight, and his soaked consciousness came back with one thought running through his mind.

_I crashed the car._

He blinked through the haziness, his ears filling with the beeping sound he only heard on television. Then, slowly, his nose filled with a sterile smell, and his eyes cracked open like a baby chick opening its eyes for the first time.

Dipper breathed in heavily like a greedy man, filling his lungs with air, though it was harder to do it than usual. Then he breathed out, feeling the heart monitor beep to his heart beat. It slowed down gradually, until the beeps became steady and hard. Slowly, he turned his head to the side and saw the nurse call button by his bed side. Some tubes and a clamp around his ring finger circled and twisted around him, and he blinked his eyes in confusion. He flexed his right hand, and clenched his teeth at the numb feeling it spread throughout his body.

He released the breath he held and flexed his fingers, feeling the blood flow through the fingers. He sat there for god knows how long, hearing the heart monitor beside him and listening to the trouble right outside his door. He could hear doctors being called over a speaker and nurses rushing around to wherever they were being called for. He heard medical instruments being rattled, heard crying loved ones, heard the pleas and mumbled prayers right outside of his door. Dipper almost laughed bitterly. He knew for a fact that no one was outside of his door, praying for him or crying for him. Everyone he knew probably didn't even know he was here, except for the girl who was with him when it happened.

He felt a weight settle on his heart and shoulders. Mabel. She was there. She was _there._ He didn't even know if she survived. Hell, he didn't even know how much damage he took from that crash.

Curiosity got the best of him, and Dipper sat up with a grunt on his plain white bed. He reached behind him to adjust the pillow on his neck, and stopped short.

On his left forearm was two parallel zig-zags, kind of like bolts. They were cut deep into his forearm, and he wondered why the doctors didn't stitch it up. With a furrowed brow, he reached over with his right forearm (which was covered by tubes), and touched the scar. He hissed and pulled his right forearm back, feeling warm heat and a stinging sensation coat his left forearm. The scar seemed oddly familiar to him.

Before he could turn around and call in a nurse, someone burst through the door.

He looked up in surprise, his hands in his lap. Only now did he realize that he was in a hospital gown. The person who came in was a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair, a clipboard in hand with glasses perched on his long nose. It was like looking at a typical TV show doctor.

"I see that you're awake, M-" the doctor began.

Dipper answered to that by shaking his head, the words seeming to not work properly in his throat. He instantly regretted the decision, and grimaced at the headache it gave him. "You had quite the accident there, Mr. Pines," the doctor said quietly, taking a seat beside his bed side. _Is my sister okay_? he wanted to ask. But no words came out.

All that came out was a grunting noise, and he cleared his throat and rubbed it with a hand. He tried again, but nothing. Nothing, but a small noise of frustration. He began to panic.

"Calm down, Mr. Pines. Calm yourself," the doctor soothed. _What happened to me?_ Dipper wanted to ask, but again, nothing came out. His eyes widened, and he opened his mouth and closed it over and over again. His throat felt like the desert, and every single time he wanted to speak, he felt like choking. What _happened_ to him?

"Vocal cord paralysis," the doctor sighed, clicking his pen and writing something down on his clipboard. "We thought this would happen."

 _Vocal cord paralysis?_ he wanted to ask. As if sensing his confusion, the doctor continued, "Your voice box, your larynx, has been disrupted somehow by the accident. We do not know the exact cause for this, but we can speculate that it came from neck or chest injury, as uh, more problems have rooted from that particular area."

Dipper stayed quiet. He had no choice, anyway. He wanted to ask so many questions, but for once, he couldn't speak. He wanted to ask how long this would last, if it was just temporary, if he had more problems, but he just couldn't shout it out even if he wanted. But thankfully, his doctor was patient and thankful answered all of his questions one by one.

"Don't worry, you won't be mute forever," the man chuckled, "just temporarily. A month, a week, I don't know. It depends on your therapy. If you cooperate, maybe you can speak again fully by next week. By worst means, you might be mute for over three months. But the damage won't last any longer than that. I promise."

Dipper rubbed his sore throat, and the doctor got the memo. The doctor reached over and handed him a glass of water, in which Dipper chugged down like he never drank in days. And possibly so. He didn't even know what day it was. So he glanced at the calendar at the corner of his room. Just the day after the accident. Thank God.

Then the doctor's words settled in, and Dipper's back stiffened. _More problems have rooted from that particular area._

"Your uh," the doctor began awkwardly, clearing his throat. Then, with pitying eyes that Dipper didn't like one bit, glanced down at his clipboard and flipped two pages over. He saw the first page before he turned it over. It had his name and date of admission to the hospital, as well as all of his information, including his full name, phone number, and relative relations. He tried not to stare, especially at the short list of emergency contacts.

"You've got quite the problems here, Mr. Pines. But, at least you didn't lose a limb or die."

Dipper gestured for the doctor to continue with an impatient air around him. So, with a sigh and a scratch of his pen, the man answered, "Your left eye has been impaled through- cause unknown. Medics found you with a completely missing eyeball."

Dipper's hand flew over to his face in surprise, and felt around. Then, with a frown, felt a gauze over his left eye and touched it gingerly. He bit his bottom lip at the hollow pain it caused him, feeling like he pressed a hand to a sore spot. A gauze. The doctor, as if sensing that he was probably not believing this, pulled out the mirror from the bedside (who knew hospitals kept mirrors handy?) and handed it over to Dipper.

His face was pale, so pale that he looked dead. His cheeks hollowed and seemed to stand out even more, and his right eye seemed sunken and deep. His chocolate coloured eye was dark and heavy, an air around it that should never have belonged to an eighteen year old boy. His left eye was covered by a gauze, and a bloody spot covered the middle. Dipper never looked as terrible as he did now.

Dipper set down the mirror by his bed side, putting his hands back onto his laps shakily. The doctor watched him with a watchful eye, writing things down on his clipboard and looking up at him from time to time. For a couple minutes, the only sounds were a scratching pen and the heart monitor keeping track of his fast beating heart. Dipper had so many damn questions, but he couldn't bring himself to make the man aware of that. He wanted to know where his sister was, he wanted to know why he was having faint memories of a soft, crackling voice singing a song to him, he wanted to know what else was wrong with him, he just wanted to _know_. But if he found out now, at this instant, he would fall apart.

So, after a couple minutes with time ticking by, the doctor set his clipboard and pen on the bed and folded his hands over his stomach, leaning against his plastic chair and peering over at Dipper like he was going to fall apart. When he was sure that Dipper was okay, he cleared his throat.

"Sudden cardiac arrest. You are now prone to it, Mr. Pines. Apparently, your family has a long line of heart diseases. We had no idea you had any until we ran some tests. You must be careful for now on, or else you might suffer from it. No sudden surprises, no sudden movement, no horror movies or anything that causes mild heart attacks, and no overwhelming amount of stress. You do any of that, and you can die. You have some other mild problems as a ruptured left shoulder- don't move your shoulder as much, please, and your right ankle has been strained. Nothing to worry about the ankle, you'll be able to walk just fine with a simple limp. You're lucky you haven't been in a contusion."

Dipper played with the thin blanket on the hospital bed, frowning to himself. Heart problems. Well, he wasn't surprised, to say the least. His Grunkle Stan has heart problems, and so did some of his relatives. He sometimes felt his chest tighten and squeeze when he was under pressure, but he just brushed that off as stress. So, he had to get away from that kind of stress now? Easy. He can do that. Right?

Dipper, forgetting that he couldn't talk, opened his mouth and tried to speak. His throat felt blocked, and he felt nauseous. He closed his jaw and gulped, his head spinning mildly. "I suggest you try not talking for now, Mr. Pines," the doctor advised, leaning forward and handing him his clipboard and pen. It was on an empty page. "Ask away," he told Dipper with a nod. Dipper smiled weakly in thanks, and clicked the pen. He chicken-scratched something down, and showed the doctor.

_Where's my sister?_

The doctor hummed, tapping his fingers on his knee. "Mabel Pines? Oh, you shouldn't worry. You've taken the worst hits, and even then, you're considered the most lucky person in this building, other than your sister, of course. As far as I know, she just got a concussion from hitting the board and is currently taking more tests," he answered. Dipper frowned. He heard a doctor say that his car was half crushed by the impact of the truck when he was half-conscious. As if the doctor heard him, he clicked his tongue. "Your... _situation_ is the most miracle-like accident I've ever seen. The front of your car has been completely crushed by the impact, but somehow, the two of you have survived that with little-to-no injuries," the doctor told him. Then he frowned.

"There was a witness. Only one. It was Old Man McGucket. 'Member him? Crazy old guy with stories, even though he's better now with his son at that mansion of his. He said the front of your car started glowing blue and yellow, until it turned green. I'm willing to bet that he's going to say that a kraken came in and killed the driver of the semi-truck too."

Dipper's breath hitched, more than it should. He wrote one more on the clipboard, then showed it to his doctor. _Is the driver dead?_ The doctor looked over at him in pity. "Sadly, yes. In normal circumstances, you and your sister would be dead, instead of him. Miraculously, you two survived. It still baffles me, but I'm glad two young people got out of that wreckage alive." The doctor stood up from his chair and went over to the other side of Dipper's bed, and began unplugging some cords and switching red buttons off. The heart monitor beside him died down, and Dipper's tubes were tugged off carefully. Dipper rubbed his wrist subconsciously.

He opened his mouth to speak, then remembered just in time to use the clipboard. He picked it up, and scratched in another message, crossing out some words and making frustrated noises as he tried to write in the best message as he could. The doctor leaned in to see what he wrote. _Am I able to see my sister right now?_

"Actually, yes. We need to make sure you can walk carefully, though," the doctor warned him. But Dipper didn't care about being pampered the whole way, he just wanted to see his sister. So, a few moments later, Dipper was standing up with an arm wrapped around a pole with an IV bag, the bag filling his wrist with fluid. Though he wouldn't be staying here for a night longer, he still needed the bag to be well-fed and healthy. And, even with the IV, he felt like eating a whole horse right now. And maybe five glasses of water. He licked his lips, and stepped forward, and almost collapsed.

"Right ankle, right ankle, Mr. Pines! Be careful!" the doctor called out in a panic. Dipper gulped down some air, and stood up shakily with his left leg. His right leg screamed out in pain, particularly his ankle, but he fought through the haziness. His hospital gown slipped, and he saw a glimpse of a white bandage wrapped around his left shoulder. He blinked his one eye, and grimaced.

Dipper waved the doctor away and offered a kind smile, but it seemed watery and weak to him. He suddenly cursed himself for not learning sign language sooner. He was planning to, one day, but that procrastination costed him probably three months of communication. Dipper meekly shuffled forward with his right foot, and was thankful he didn't collapse. He moved his left foot, then his right, and now he was successfully moving around. Hobbling, but moving.

He looked over at the doctor, waiting for him to lead the way to where his sister was. The salt-and-pepper haired doctor sighed and grabbed his clipboard and pen, clicking it. "Thankfully, she's only seven doors down. She was about to be moved to the east wing," he told Dipper, gesturing a hand to Dipper's open door. Dipper hobbled through it with gritted teeth, and looked out the door.

It was as busy as he thought it would be, with nurses skidding around and doctors barking orders. Crying loved ones sat on chairs, their heads in their hands. Some just looked out with an empty look in their eyes, a look that Dipper thought looked familiar. Maybe he looked exactly like that when he found out Bill cheated on him. Dipper breathed in deep, feeling his lungs fill in painfully. It hurt to even breathe now.

Dipper latched an arm around his pole and shuffled forward, getting stares from the crying people before they glanced away from him, disappointed that it wasn't their loved one. Dipper swallowed a hard lump, and kept moving. He counted the doors. Four, five, six, seven...

Seventh door from his. Mabel's.

Dipper looked back and saw his doctor, scratching things down on his clipboard without even looking up at Dipper. "Well? Go on ahead. She's probably resting or running some tests," he said boredly, glancing up briefly. The brunette pursed his lips, and rested a hand on the cold door knob. He twisted it, and pushed through.

The first thing he saw was a doctor in the same clothes as his own doctor, the grey-colored doctor bent over a table with a stiff-backed girl with legs swinging back and forth. "Follow the light, please," the doctor deadpanned, a clicking sound filling the air. Then his hand moved back and forth slowly, and the girl made an irritated noise. Dipper stepped in further into the room, and the salt-and-pepper haired doctor behind him closed the door.

"I don't see why this would help see if I have any more injuries," Mabel whined like a little kid. Dipper almost smiled at her tone. At least she wasn't scarred mentally in any way. She was still the same old Mabel.

"It's to see the veins in your eyes, Miss. To make sure nothing happened to them," Mabel's doctor said patiently. Mabel hummed, her swinging legs finally calming down. Dipper shifted his weight painfully from his right ankle to his left, and the pole skidded with his weight, causing a shrieking sound to echo through the room. He cringed. He never grew out of that awkward phase, did he?

Mabel's doctor stepped aside to reveal Mabel's smiling face, his back hunched over a clipboard. Mabel looked the same as he last saw her, except she was in a hospital gown with bandages wrapped around her forehead, her arms hidden by the thin blanket on her lap. "Seems like your eyes are perfectly fine, Miss. But uh," the doctor began, "you might want to come back soon, to see the results just to be sure." Mabel grinned wider, her legs swinging again.

"Oh, I bet I'll be fine. You said so yourself!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, but-" the doctor began. Then he sighed in slight irritation, and looked up at Dipper and his own doctor.

"Ah. You have some guests, Miss. Anything you need?" Mabel's doctor asked, directing the question to the other specialist. 

"Nothing important, Donovan. Mabel Pines's brother is here to talk to her. Or uh, he would if he didn't disrupt his voice box," Dipper's doctor coughed.

"Oh, I see. I shall leave these two alone then," Mabel's doctor deadpanned, nodding his head. Both doctors left the twins alone in the sterile room.

It was quiet at first, both twins avoiding each others' eyes as their eyes (or eye, in Dipper's case) glanced around the room, finding anything at all to avoid looking at each other. Mabel was the first one to be brave to look at him, and her lips twitched. "Damn, nice Aquarius symbol scar, Dip," she giggled.

Dipper huffed. So _that_ was the scar. He looked around and found a napkin and a cheap pen, and hunched over the table near the door. He wrote something down, and showed it to Mabel. _My shoulder is bandaged, I'm limping, I can no longer speak for god knows how long, I lost an eye, and you comment on my scar first_? He outlined 'scar' for emphasis.

"Sorry! I'm on laughing gas or some high shit," Mabel argued, her voice slightly slurred.

Dipper rolled his eyes, wrapping an arm around his IV pole as he limped forward to an empty chair that Mabel's doctor must've occupied. Dipper stared at her quietly, his brow furrowed as he leaned forward. Mabel's grin faded into a small reassuring smile. "I'm fine," she assured him, "anyway, you're the one who took the most hits."

Dipper frowned deeper in confusion. "Don't you remember? You steered the car right as fast you can, and your side of the car got hit most by the semi-truck," Mabel told him, her eyebrows up high in surprise. Dipper frowned, and tried to remember. Oh. Yeah, he remembered now. As soon as he felt like he wasn't restricted in his own body, Dipper turned his Dodge Ram around as fast as he can, and his side of the car crashed. He blacked out after that, but not before he felt his heart scream out in pain. It was as if someone tried to rip his heart out of his chest, with how much tugging he felt. Was that how it felt to have a heart attack? No, it couldn't. His Grunkle never said he felt like... _that_.

Dipper raised an eyebrow at her, unconvinced that she got out merrily. "A mild concussion. And a strained arm that should probably only last a few days," Mabel told him, lifting up her right arm, which was wrapped with a gauze.

"Oh, and now that you're mute, we can buy a whiteboard for you to carry around! Or, find a way to make that monotone typer thing from Totally Spies when they defeated Jazz Hands!" Mabel squealed, almost jumping down from her seat on the doctor's examination table. Then she flinched and brought her good arm to her head and rubbed the spot there. "And I told you to learn sign language, you big buffoon," Mabel scolded him like a mother. Dipper smiled at her immatureness. He knew that this wouldn't last, and she'd be back to being cold and in denial about Pacifica when the nitrous oxide wore off.

"We should also get you a glass eye. Oh, oh! A _blue_ pupiled glass eye! So it looks like you have heterochromia!" Mabel chirped once more, looking at his bandaged eye in awe. Then her excitement slowly disappeared. "How did you lose your eye?" Mabel whispered. Dipper gulped, grimacing at the pain it brought him. He shook his head slowly. _I don't know_ , he wanted to tell her. Even the doctor didn't know. He said that Dipper's eyeball was completely gone with not even a single trace, like someone pulled it out and disappeared with it.

Mabel stepped off the table with a slight flinch and walked towards the table near the door. She rummaged through the drawer in the table until she found what she wanted. She stalked over to Dipper and threw a notepad and a pen to his lap. "So, what now, one-eyed Dipper?" she asked him as cheerily as she could, sitting her butt down back on the doctor's table.

Dipper bent over and wrote down his message, the message almost unreadable on his lap. He picked it up and showed Mabel, shrugging when she gave him a look at his messy writing. _We go home, I guess. We're both to free to go._

"Yeah," she whispered, her voice unnaturally croaky, "let's go home."

* * *

"Mabel, please, _please_ listen to me. I- I didn't mean to do it, it just happened. I swear to God that Bill is just a friend, I swear. He means nothing to me compared to you. I still love you, I still need you with me. Please, talk to me. I- I can't live without you," Pacifica sobbed.

Mabel's eyes were unnaturally cold as she pressed the 'delete' button on the machine. She didn't even listen to the other thirteen messages from Pacifica, deleting them one by one without so much as a disgusted look. The other four messages she went through before deleting them were all saying the same thing.

Dipper was proud of her, smiling reassuringly when she glanced up at him. Then, his smile slowly left his face when he saw the tears glistening in her eyes. Well, now she knew the truth. But he was slowly wondering if it was better if she didn't know in the first place.

"You weren't lying," Mabel whispered.

 _Of course not. I wouldn't hurt you on purpose,_ Dipper wanted to tell her. But instead, he shook his head.

"She- she cheated on me," Mabel said slowly, "with Bill." Dipper nodded his head this time. His heart clenched in his chest, and he had a feeling it wasn't from his new heart condition. _I told you so, I told you that so many times and you didn't believe me,_ Dipper wanted to say. But he was glad he couldn't speak, as he realized that it would just make the situation worst. If it was him in her shoes, he probably would've denied it too. He had to see it with his own two eyes to believe her. Or, one eye now.

"I-" Mabel croaked out. Her eyes flashed with an emotion Dipper couldn't interpret. "I'm going to...do some work. Make sure the Shack didn't collapse while we were gone," Mabel told him with a crackling voice, laughing to show Dipper that she was alright. It didn't work, as her laugh sounded bitter and sad on her tongue. Dipper gave her a sad look, saying something with his eyes that Mabel understood instantly.

"No, no, I'm fine, Dipper, just a little- I'm fine," Mabel assured him. Then, she turned around and left the living room, leaving Dipper to sit alone on the sofa.

Dipper licked his lips and turned off the TV with the remote as soon as she left. There was no point in watching cartoons if Mabel wasn't there to point out the obvious animation errors and comical moments with him.

He rested his head against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes. His throat itched irritably, and he reached a hand over and scratched the spot. It didn't help, and he cleared his throat. If Bill was here, he'd probably laugh and suggest they whack his throat with a frying pan to clear the itch. Dipper almost laughed at the thought, before he remembered what Bill did, just the night before. _Bill, Bill, Bill._ Why, even after everything he did, Dipper still wanted to find Bill and kiss him, then tell him he forgave him? Was he so damn love-struck that Bill could kill his whole family and he'd still love him?

Dipper laughed bitterly under his breath, the laugh hoarse and itching his own throat. He probably would. And he hated that so, so much.

With a growl that barely sounded human in his throat, Dipper got up and ran a hand through his hatless hair. His hat probably burnt to a crisp in that crash. He surprised himself by not giving a damn anymore. A few days ago, he would've marched back to the gift shop and shoved an identical hat to his head and walked off. But he couldn't care less about that pine tree hat anymore. It reminded him too much of the boy who played with his heart and dropped it carelessly without looking back.

Dipper walked up the stairs slowly, his right ankle limping and dragging behind him. He stomped into his room and nearly smashed the door closed, but decided to be nice and clicked the door close instead. Mabel was in the room across from him, anyway. She didn't deserve any more shit than what was pouring on her right now.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Dipper just...stood there. Stood there with an empty look, staring out to the bed that was empty and messy, still waiting to be occupied by two lovers. No. Ex-lovers. Bill had no right to be called his lover anymore.

Dipper felt his one good eye blur with tears of anger, or sadness. He couldn't tell. But he could tell that his feet were moving under him and he was suddenly grabbing the blanket and pillows off his bed and tossing them into his trash can, one by one. His vision blurred with crimson, a tint that reminded him of Bill's angered eyes. And remembering Bill made him remember last night, of the emotions he felt then and now. The emotions he _used_ to feel. It disgusted him, made him feel like an idiot.

His one eye blinked back tears of anger and mourning, and he would've screamed his head off by now, would've cursed Bill's name to the moon and back. But he couldn't, he _can't._ Not because of his disrupted voice box, but because he knew in his heart that he would crawl back to Bill, fed by his lies and promises. Promises Bill would never, _ever_ keep, but promises Dipper would keep close to his heart.

Everything in Dipper's room reminded him of Bill, and he felt the need to throw everything out. The bed where they both slept in at night, the desk where Dipper worked and Bill would sometimes watch over his shoulder, the notepad filled with memories that Bill was curious to look at but Dipper never let him see, God, even his padded left eye reminded him of the stupid blond boy. It reminded him of Bill's fake eye patch, his smirk when he first saw Dipper just a few weeks ago. This time, the eye patch could never be taken off to show a perfectly intact eyeball. That made Dipper laugh under his breath, a breathless laugh destroyed by his disruption.

So he threw almost everything away. His bed sheets, his pillows, some of his clothes in which Bill borrowed at least once, his blanket, and even some of his notebooks. He threw everything away that reminded him of Bill, and not one remained of Bill Cipher in his room, all thrown away in trash bags he had to take downstairs three times.

Dipper collapsed the floor, his head against his oak wall. And he let the overwhelming emotions take him and his shoulders shook in a silent sob, sobs that were long overdue. He cried out his heart's lament of a loss he knew he'd get back, but never the same. He cried for his heart's gullibility, knowing perfectly well that as soon as he saw Bill again, he would forgive him, no matter what Bill said. He hated himself more than he hated Bill, hated himself for knowing that he'd be running back to the player with open arms as soon as possible. And he also cried, for the girl who got her heart broken as much as his heart did, or maybe even worst.

While his heart was in a thousand pieces, Mabel's was in a million.

Dipper gulped down a greedy breath, gagging at the reflex in his throat. His quiet sobs died down, finally, after a few minutes or hours. He never knew how long things took, but he didn't give a shit. What he did care for, though, was the stifled sobs through his wall.

Sobs that sounded so much worst than his. Sobs that broke through the wall and his heart. He knew in an instant that it was Mabel, crying for being played once again by a person she didn't think would ever break her heart. Those sobs sounded like a lament, a cry that would never, ever stop, even if the girl was smiling again. And at that moment, hearing his sister cry for a reason he understood well, Dipper felt his heart break further.

He blamed himself for the cries that were stifled through the wall. If he saw Pacifica for what she really was when they first started dating, Mabel would be smiling right now, watching her favourite movies downstairs with another person who probably deserved her much more than Pacifica ever would. If only he acted on his instincts when he first saw the snooby girl, if only he told his sister that he thought that the seemingly perfect princess was not so perfect after all. But thanks to his actions, a shooting star's light was going out ever so slowly.

Dipper wiped his tear stains away from his face, and put a hand on the wall. He got up, slowly but surely, and massaged his aching shoulder. The bandage wasn't visible with his flannel on (he changed out of the hospital gown with fresh clothes Wendy brought over), but he knew it was there. The doctor explained that his ruptured shoulder was the least of his problems, and would wear off in a week or so. But, for now, he had to learn how to be careful. And learn to cook and reach over the pantry without hurting himself.

He made his way back downstairs, opening and then closing his door behind him as quietly as he can, to not disturb the shooting star across from him. He walked back downstairs more softly than usual, avoiding the creaky parts of the stairs he memorized a long time ago. And, as soon as the broken boy made his way to the kitchen, he pulled out some ingredients he saw Mabel pull out countless times and even brought out some syrup, setting them down to the table as quietly as he can. He pulled out a pan, turned on the stove, and brought out a spatula.

He mixed the ingredients, forgetting about the apron. Splashes of the mix stained his shirt, but as he always thought these days, he didn't care. He made sure the chunks were out, and turned around when he began to smell smoke.

The boy began to panic, but that didn't stop him from adding a stick of butter to the pan. It sizzled, and sent smoke up. He coughed, but kept going, brushing it off as a normal part of making pancakes.

After he poured in the mix, Dipper limped into the living room and grabbed a piece of paper and a blue marker Mabel must've left out. He leaned down and scratched in the most loopy handwriting as he can, knowing that Mabel loved his handwriting. He finished writing it down, and capped the marker with a proud smile. He took the paper, folded it so it could stand on a table, and walked back into the kitchen.

And the kitchen was smoking.

He coughed, scrambling as fast as he can to the stove. He hit his good foot on the side of the table, and he gritted his teeth. Dipper stumbled and his hand caught on the temperature controller on the stove. He twisted it around randomly, hoping to shut it off. But the stove-top became hotter, and the pancake on the pan caught on fire.

His eyes widened in fear when the fire alarm started beeping, and shut off the stove with a palm. He reached over and doused the stove with a fire extinguisher, until the stove was completely covered in white foam. The foam melted ever so slowly, and Dipper panted, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.

He grabbed the pan with a gloved hand and plopped the burnt pancake onto a plate he set up on the table, throwing the pan away in the kitchen sink. He picked up the plate, just in time to hear stomping coming from upstairs.

"Dipper, I got it, I have the-!" Mable cried, running downstairs with a fire extinguisher in hand.

Then she stopped short when she saw Dipper, standing in the middle of the kitchen with a burnt pancake on a plate in his hands, a faint smile on his face with pancake mix all over himself. Her eyes glanced at the table next to him, a piece of paper folded to stand on the table with the words, "Honey, if you love me, will you please smile for me?" That saying was a game Dipper and Mabel used to play often, stopping the game when they got to that age where saying things like that became too sappy. One twin would asked that on a particularly nasty day for the other twin, in hopes of making that twin smile.

And it worked, as Mabel dropped the extinguisher with a metal clang, her good hand up to her mouth, covering it in shock. They stood there for what seemed like hours, until Mabel slowly put her hand away from her mouth. And, slowly but gladly, she smiled at the person who would go through hell and back for her.

Before Dipper could smile back, Mabel ran forward and hugged him fiercely, knocking both of them down to the floor. The pancake plopped against the kitchen floor, and the plate was put away on the table when Dipper reached over. Dipper's arms came around his sister and hugged her back, feeling her tears soak through his shoulder.

He stroked her hair soothingly, calming her down as he heard sobs break through Mabel once more. But he was no good, as he began to cry with her, both twins a mess of two broken hearts.

And they stayed like that for a long, long time. No twin moved until both of their sobs became quiet, until eventually, those quiet sobs became sniffles. And then, the sniffles turned into a bittersweet silence.

Mabel pulled apart from her brother with a watery smile on her face. "How about instead of eating your burnt, poisoned pancake-" Mabel began, causing Dipper to scoff, "-we go to Greasy's Diner, huh? To get our minds off the idiots who broke our hearts when they _clearly_ didn't deserve the Pines in the first place." Dipper smiled softly at that.

 _Those idiots can break our hearts, Mabel, but they can never break the bond we have,_ Dipper wanted to tell her. _As long as you're here with me, there's nothing in this world I wouldn't be able to stand. Even an idiot with a cruel soul._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mabifica was here for a reason and that reason was for pain and most particularly, Mabel Pain™ (Because Mabel isn't the perfect little girl I keep portraying her as, sadly- our Shooting Star is grown up and heartbroken D:).Actually, literally everything happening in this book is mostly for Pain™.


	21. "Darling, I love you, but I just can't smile."

_"If I told you what I was,_  
_Would you turn your back on me?_  
_And if I seem dangerous,_  
_Would you be scared?_  
_I get the feeling just because_  
_Everything I touch isn't dark enough, that this problem lies in me_  
_I'm only a man with a candle to guide me,_  
_I'm taking a stand to escape what's inside me._  
_A monster, a monster, I've turned into a monster."_

**[Monster | Imagine Dragons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhSA9H9Iaqw) **

* * *

Bill walked through the streets of Gravity Falls with his head hung low and his heart ripped from his chest.

His eyes drooped every five minutes but he willed them open with a growl each time, his nails digging into his palms until his hands turned red. He was so, so tired. So tired of everything going on and tired of being away from the Mystery Shack.

But he was also tired from the deal he made.

Though he didn't regret the deal one bit, the magic made him extremely drowsy. He never felt as tired as he did right now, and that was saying a lot, as he sometimes spent days awake, not once falling asleep between his no-sleep binge days. He never told Pine Tree that, mostly because he would have to explain that he would stare at his face, hours on end, until he felt better and got up.

Bill bumped into a shoulder on the street, and the man shouted at him in warning. Bill looked back and flashed the kid a toothy grin, a grin that would haunt dreams for days. The man shut up, his face turning white at Bill's grin. And then Bill scoffed at the tough guy and kept walking, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets and pushing himself forward.

He didn't know where he was going. But he didn't care. He didn't care, as long as it wasn't anywhere near Pine Tree and Shooting Star. He didn't care, as long as he didn't witness their sobs and heart-broken words.

Bill walked, and walked, and walked, until his legs and feet ached in pain, somehow shouting at him to stop and rest, even for a little bit. He didn't listen, and growled as he walked even harder, his feet slamming against the sidewalk painfully. His vision blackened in and out, his head swimming with black dots that reminded him of his realm. He was pushing this human body to the limit, but he didn't care. Maybe if he was lucky, he would die.

Bill laughed bitterly. The universe didn't like him that much to give him what he wanted. He'd probably be impossible to kill in this body, as long as the original deal kept up.

The second deal, however, was a tough act to decipher.

The moment he heard that Pine Tree and Shooting Star got into an accident, Bill felt his magic flare, fire coating his body like how water would stick to clothing. He felt his human body melting away, felt the flesh and bones melt away until he was back into his own realm, staring into the face of the guy who brought him to the human realm in the first place. "What do you want? I have business to take care of," Bill remembered snapping, his blue flames coating his fists and ready to burst into more if it came down to it.

"Your boy seems to be dead, Bill Cipher. The deal is off with him dead," the insufferable bastard told him, so calmly that it made Bill's flames burn brighter in remorse.

"I'll make a deal with you again, Cipher. I keep him alive, you give me part of your soul."

Bill remembered laughing at that, laughing in the face of the idiot who looked so serious about this. "My soul? For what? To pay for your house rent?" Bill said to him that day.

"No," the dealer paused, almost dramatically, "If I take a part of your soul, it will be harder for you to love. You will feel as if there is no difference, but the moment you look at that boy again, the feelings you had once before will be gone. But the boy will be alive. Alive and healthy, with a missing eye and a mark to make sure the sacrifice goes according to plan."

And as soon as those words left the bastard's mouth, Bill replied with a simple, clipped, "You got a deal, old man."

The boy with half of his soul left took a deep breath of the hot, summer air, his sweat coating his forehead. He didn't wipe it away, but instead walked once more, rubbing his chest with a hand. It was still sore from being cut open, his very essence being cut open. The buffoon ripped out a handful of his soul, and stuck the essence back into his heart like a careless surgeon, stitching Bill's human body back up with a simple touch of a cold hand. Bill remembered feeling so much pain, pain that even _he_ couldn't handle. His memories flashed through his meek, human brain, and he had to live through memories he wanted to forget so badly. He remembered the time he almost killed Shooting Star, the time he stuck forks and knives over Pine Tree's body, remembered things he wasn't even supposed to remember. And sadly, he would do it all over again, if that meant taking over pure control over the world.

Bill pulled the hoodie over his head, his head hung down to the sidewalk, watching his feet move forward with each step and crack. His chest squeezed in a way he never felt before, and felt his knees turn into lead. He stumbled, his hand on the brick wall to his left.

His breaths were suddenly ragged, and people who passed him gave him weird, concerned looks. But no one stopped to help him, and he felt anger bubble in his stomach. Not because people wouldn't help him, he could take care of himself, thank you very much, but what if it was Pine Tree who was here, looking pale and helpless and no one helped him?

Bill's magic ticked in his hands, and shoved those useless digits into his pockets to avoid accidentally showing magic to these worthless human scums. He scowled, and got up, hating how he stumbled again when he tripped on a loose root. Some people who passed and saw him trip sneered at him, and Bill really wanted to blast their faces at that moment. How rude can these mortals _be_?

Bill made a frustrated noise in his throat and turned around, walking away from the spot he tripped. He was on a street he never saw before, despite being here in Gravity Falls for god knows how long. It was a dirty old street with no one walking on the sidewalks, and he got the impression that most people would avoid this place as best as they can. But, being the naturally curious being he was, Bill forced his tired legs onward, feeling the drowsiness slowly leave, leaving his body churning with excitement.

He trudged down the street, looking left and right for signs of trouble he could work on. Perhaps he could pick a fight here, or _create_ a fight. As long as he had a reason to hit a person, he would be happy, even for a little bit. He just needed a distraction, and chaos was the perfect choice.

Bill's steps faltered. _Bingo_.

Up ahead, in a back-alley on this road, was eight burly and skinny looking men huddled together over something Bill couldn't see. Some were making mocking comments, and others were laughing and pushing over someone or something. A man, the biggest of them all, probably around Bill's age, from what he could tell from where he was, was in the midst of all the chaos, arms crossed over his barrel chest with an air of importance around him that made Bill grin. Ah, the leader of this tiny get-together. Now all Bill had to do was go over there and piss him off. But how, he wondered, quietly watching the gang with a stony look.

One of the goons stepped back, and Bill was finally able to see what they were huddled over for. A skinny boy, around the age of fourteen from the looks of it, was wide-eyed and small in the middle of the giant men surrounding him. The boy whimpered pathetically when a giant man pushed him to the side, laughing at the boy's incompetence.

Bill smirked. So, he had to play the hero for one boy in other to play villain for eight others, huh? Yawn. He didn't like the idea of saving another meatsack, but what can he do? He was bored.

So, a few moments later, Bill squared his face to look angry, angry that a boy was being bullied on his watch, when in reality, he couldn't give a single shit about this situation. It was an unfair world, and if you were bullied, chances are, you didn't deserve it. A person would just be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Even Bill knew that.

"Hey! What do you guys think you're doing?" Bill bellowed, flitting his eyes angrily over the eight angry gremlins. The goons stopped laughing, looked over at him, and started laughing all over again. The corner of Bill's lips twitched, and he stopped it as best as he can. To them, he probably seemed like the person who would run away the moment one of them threw a punch, as he was literally twice as small as the smallest person there. His fists probably didn't even come close to one of their's.

"Aw, is this your brother coming to save you, little man?" the leader purred, pushing the boy to the ground. The boy squeaked, and stumbled on his words, causing the eight of the goons to laugh out loud. "Worthless faggot. Faggots can't even stand a kick," the leader laughed. Bill's fists clenched, feeling real anger come through him.

"Let go of the kid," Bill ordered, his voice a deadly calm.

"Or what? You'll kick our asses, faggot?" the leader drawled. That caused an uproar of laughter within his little group, and the boy kneeling before the man hung his head down low.

"Oh no, you called me a sexuality. How intimidating," Bill said dryly.

That caused a bark of guffaws with the gang, and the leader frowned at him with a flash of anger in his eyes. "Let go of the kid," Bill repeated, "or I might kill one of you this time."

The leader chuckled, the alley suddenly going quiet. His goons stepped back when he stepped forward, and Bill's spine straightened. Bill stepped forward, until both the leader and him were a few feet away from each other. The blond boy was one and a half head smaller than the big, burly man, but that didn't stop him from grinning wickedly. "Don't grin like you already won, faggot," the man insulted. Bill resisted the urge to roll his eyes. If you were going to insult someone, at least use another insult each time.

"Let go of the kid," Bill repeated once more, getting tired of repeating the same words.

"Or what?" the leader chirped. Bill's eyes narrowed, and loved how the leader stepped back in surprise when he realized that Bill's eye pupils flashed with blood red. And, without warning, Bill stepped forward and punched the leader right in between the eyes.

"HEY!" the man screamed, a hand flying over to his face. The seven idiots behind him charged forward, snapping the silence that fell in the alley with roars of anger. Bill cracked his neck to the side, smirking to himself.

The first person came in heavily, stumbling forward with a punch. Bill side-stepped and grabbed the man's greasy hair, wrinkling his nose in disgust. Bill then slammed the man's face to the wall, hearing a sickening crunch sound through his eardrums. He welcomed the sound with a grin, and turned around for his next opponent.

The next was a short man, but with fast agility. The meat sack head-butted Bill's stomach, causing Bill to choke in surprise. But that surprise was short-lived, and Bill grabbed the man's middle and flipped him, smacking his head to the pavement. Bill loved the sound of his groan, and decided to take it further by grabbed the guy's neck and dragging his head across the pavement painfully. The man screamed in pain, and someone grabbed Bill's collar from behind.

The blond boy was pulled back, his head slamming to the brick wall. Stars and black spots danced in his vision, and he quickly blinked them away in time to find a giant man with swollen fists knocking one fist back to hit Bill right across the face. But Bill ducked, and the man ended up smashing his fist against the building, causing him to howl in pain. Bill kneed him, and when the man knelt over in pain, Bill smashed his knee against his face, hearing the bones crack in his nose.

Bill pushed the meat sack away with a cold look, looking up with a grin. Two thin boys sprinted forward, smart enough to work in pairs this time. But Bill was smarter, and he knocked the boys' heads together the moment they swung their weak fists. Their heads clunked together, and their eyes rolled back in their heads. They collapsed to the floor, and Bill laughed, feeling giddy with the  
rush of adrenaline coming through him. But Bill wasn't done with the pair, and knelt over and took one of their pocket knives that became visible around their belts.

Bill slid the blade into place, seeing someone coming towards him with a baseball bat in hand. He grinned wider. Finally. A challenge.

He stood up, right in time to meet a baseball bat swinging towards him. Bill ducked, and plunged the knife into the guy's gut with a sickening sound that reminded him of a plunger. He pulled the knife back and used his free hand to grab the guy's left arm, driving the knife in from the elbow and grinning at the man's scream. He drove the knife down, cutting his skin like a grape, just for the hell of it. When he finished, he kicked the guy away, dropping the knife to the floor with a dull metal clang. He took the unconscious man's baseball bat, blood pooling on the pavement under the glassy eyed man.

Bill turned around and smacked the leader in the face when he heard footsteps, causing a sickening crunch to sound through the alleyway, mixing in with the howl of pain from the leader. The burly man stepped back, holding his now bloody nose, blood splattering to the ground. "Where is the boy?" Bill growled.

"Why?" the man sneered, still cocky even with a bloody nose. The man even stepped forward, taking a swing. Bill abandoned the red-stained baseball bat and grabbed the man's fist, turning his arm around painfully. The man screamed, and Bill sniffed. Maybe this one should be caused the most pain.

Bill took the man's other hand and grabbed his index finger, snapping it in a way he knew would cause it to bend in the most horrible way. It caused the finger to snap, like a twig being snapped under his foot. The man pulled back his hand and put it under his armpit, his eyes wide with fear. The leader looked around, realizing that all of his goons were either knocked out or ran away from them in fear. "Please, please! I'll give you anything! Take my money, I-" the man pleaded.

Bill knelt before him, a hand outstretched. "Your gun," Bill deadpanned.

The man looked at his hand in confusion, then looked up at him. "How did you know I-" the man croaked.

 _"Now!"_ Bill growled. The man scrambled for his belt and latched onto a pistol. He palmed it onto Bill's outstretched hand, and the blond masochist cocked the gun. The man's eyes widened in fear, and he fell backward in surprise.

"Wait, I have a family! My- my brother, my mom, my-" the man blurted.

Bill pulled the trigger, hitting the man square in the leg. He pulled the trigger once more, hitting the other leg. The man screamed in pain, tears streaming down pitifully his chubby face.

Bill unloaded the gun, tossing the bullets away in an alleyway garbage can. He threw the empty pistol to the floor in front of the quivering man. He sneered at the man's sudden fear and turned around, walking away as if nothing happened.

He walked out of the alley, sunlight suddenly getting into his eyes. He squinted, one hand over his eyes. Sirens wailed in the distance, and he grinned, despite himself. One of those idiots probably called the police. He should be worried, but for some reason, he wasn't. In the best situation, he would slip out before the police saw him. In the worst situation, he'd have to kill all the police men to get out. He sighed, pulling up his hoodie and tightening the strings.

Almost immediately, someone grabbed him from behind, their grip tightening on his middle. He grunted, putting his hands on the arms tightly, ready to flip the intruder over, when he realized that he was being hugged.

"Thank you, Bill, thank you! I- I didn't think I would-" the boy blubbered behind him.

Bill turned around and ripped the boy's arms away, kicking his shins and forcing the boy to his knees. He slid up behind him and put his hands on the side of the boy's temples. "How did you know my name?" Bill hissed.

The boy was quiet, and he could tell without even looking that the boy was wide-eyed with fear. " _Answer me or you die,_ " Bill growled, twisted the boy's head further to the side to prove his point. The boy cried out in pain, and tears glistened in his eyes.

"You- you work at the Mystery Shack, right? Y- you're dating that famous mystery hunter boy. Dipper Pines?" the boy stuttered. Bill's firm grip on the side of the boy's head faltered. He bit his bottom lip until it bled, and he forced himself to answer.

"No," Bill whispered harshly, getting up from his spot on the bloody pavement, his knees soaked through, "no, I'm not with him. I don't even work at that idiotic tourist trap."

The boy blinked in surprise. "Oh. I- I just thought-" he stammered.

"Go," Bill hissed.

"W- what?"

"I said _go_ before I change my mind and kill you too!" Bill bellowed.

The boy scrambled up from his spot on the floor and ran away, his feet slapping on the dry pavement. Bill watched him go, not calming down until the idiot left, his breathing ragged and short. His heart pounded heavily and painfully in his chest, and though it made him look weak, Bill clutched his chest with a fist, sliding his back down the brick wall.

He rested his right arm on his up-righted knee, leaning his head against the wall as he breathed in. The adrenaline rush he got from the fight wore off almost instantly, sitting down there on the somehow cold pavement despite the hot summer day. For a while, he didn't think about anything. He just kind-of...sat there with his eyes closed and his heart gradually slowing down in his chest.

"Nice moves, kid," a man grunted.

Bill's head snapped up, and he scowled. It was another burly, barrel-chested man, in his mid-twenties or early-thirties. He was sporting a bandage around his knuckles, wearing a tank top and red shorts that showed his hairy legs. The man's short, black buzz cut made him look like a bigger fool to Bill than ever before. "Ugh, what now, Hairy Legs?" Bill asked in irritation.

Hairy Legs's lips twitched, his knuckles rubbing together like a diabolical villain. Bill's shoulders tensed, and he moved his legs so he was ready to jump up when the guy threw a punch. And the man kind of did, moving so fast that Bill could barely catch up, even on his terms. But instead of being punched across the face, the middle aged man threw a pair of red, giant gloves at him.

Bill looked down at the gloves on his lap in confusion, then looked back up at Hairy Legs with a disinterested look. "What, you want me to cook?" Bill asked boredly. Hairy Legs chuckled, beckoning him to come over. So, with a huff of irritation, Bill got up, looking at the guy with a weird and bored look.

"It's not for cooking, kid," the man said, his voice gruff and low, kind of like the twins' Grunkle Stan. The man put on his own gloves, which were blue, and knocked his fists together with a satisfied grin.

"I saw you fight those kids. Saw how strong your punches were. Ever done kickboxing before?"

Bill tilted his head to the side, slipping on his gloves either way. "Can't say I have. What do I have to do?" Bill asked in mild curiosity. Hairy Legs thought for a while, before pivoting around and walking away. Bill rolled his eyes and followed after the man with an irritated look.

"You kick and punch people without getting in trouble, basically," Hairy Legs answered. Bill laughed, feeling amusement and excitement bubble in the pit of his stomach.

"Oh, I'll love that tremendously," Bill drawled, "the name's Bill. You don't need to know my last name."

* * *

Bill struck the punching bag once more.

"More power into the punch, Bill!" Hairy Legs snapped. Bill gritted his teeth, holding his tongue. He struck again, forcing himself to hit harder. As soon as he upper-cutted the punching bag, the bag moved, but only by an inch. Bill made a frustrated noise, but he was beat by his instructor, who snapped at him once more. "Use your feet, idiot! What are you, a little boy who can barely throw a punch?" he snarled.

"I said I'm trying!" Bill snapped back.

His instructor crossed his arms over his chest. "You're too calm, kid," Hairy Legs told him. Bill held his tongue right on time, scowling when he was called a 'kid'. If anything, this hick trainer was a kid to Bill than anything else.

"Too calm? I'm basically lashing out on this sack!" Bill snarled, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"True, but you're acting like you're hitting your grandmother," his instructor yawned, "Think about something that makes you angry. It helps. Trust me."

Bill's jaw clenched, and he felt a vein pop in his neck. Bill cracked his neck, breathing in deep through his nose. "Nothing can make me angry, Hairy Legs," Bill told his instructor boredly. His instructor merely peered at him with an unimpressed look.

"Oh really now?" Hairy Legs hummed. "No bitter conversations with a friend? You don't blame yourself for anything? Don't miss anyone? Perhaps, an ex would do the trick? Just imagine, Bill, that the punching bag is your cheating ex and you'll be on a roll," his instructor chirped.

Bill felt his nails dig into his palms, despite the gloves. His jaw tightened, and he could feel his magic act up on its own. He took a deep breath, and glanced at the burly man with an identical, unimpressed look. "Nothing. Nothing can make me angry," Bill told him, ever so calmly. Hairy Legs raised his eyebrows in challenge. They stared each other down for what seemed like hours, the clock on the wall ticking away precious time. It was Hairy Legs who broke the stare, sighing and turning his back to Bill. Bill smirked in victory, and was about to take off his gloves when his instructor spoke.

"Keep punching that punching bag, Bill. I'll be back in a couple minutes. If I don't see that bag on the floor from your punching, you're paying double."

And Hairy Legs was gone, leaving Bill in an empty room with a red sausage thing meant for punching.

Bill took a deep breath, cracking his neck. It calmed him down, at least, but at the moment, he needed to get angry. Not so he didn't have to pay double (he had all the money in the world, for god's sake), but because he wanted to prove that mortal wrong. He was Bill fucking Cipher, and no one can compare to him. He was Bill Cipher, a monster who can't, _won't_ love.

Bill looked over at the punching bag and lifted his fists up as his instructor told him to do. He spread his legs and put his fists up further up his face to cover it, as if the punching bag was going to hit back. Then he struck with a knee, hitting the bag so hard it almost hit the roof.

His vision tinted a blood red, and he tried so hard to calm himself down. He was supposed to be angry at the bag, not at himself. But no matter how hard he tried, he kept imagining the punching bag as himself, someone he wanted to hit so damn bad.

He struck with an elbow, his arm screaming in pain.

_Pine Tree hates me, and he's never going to forgive me._

One hit.

_What will I feel when I see him again? Will I still be able to love, even?_

An uppercut. Then two. Then three.

_I made out with Pacifica and I was about to give her something that should've belonged to him._

A kick that rattled the ropes that kept the bag up.

_He hates me, he hates me, he hates me._

Another kick, kicking so hard that he almost _heard_ the bones snap in his foot.

_But I still love him, don't I?_

Bill did a combination of kicks and punches, mixing that in with growls of anger, his sweat coating his forehead. He wiped them away in a quick swipe.

_No, you don't. You'd kill him if you had to, with no hesitation either. Remember the dream? You killed him. You killed him and you were laughing. You woke up with a cold sweat, but you laughed. Because you know that you would do exactly what you did in that dream, gutting him and torturing him and hearing him scream. Because you don't love him. You don't love anyone or care for anyone, but yourself._

Bill let out a frustrated scream and stepped forward so hard that his leg rattled with exhaustion, and he swung out an arm, hitting the bag straight in between. The punching bag's ropes snapped in an instant, a snap that reminded Bill of a neck, snapping so sickeningly that he almost wanted to smile. The bag skidded to the floor, leaving Bill breathing heavily with his heart pounding in his chest like a drum.

The door behind him opened, and Bill didn't bother turning around. "Holy sh-"

Hairy Legs ran forward and lifted up the punching bag, his face a mask of shock and surprise. "Sorry, I was going to cut it open before you came in," Bill announced dryly. Hairy Legs stared at him, then flitted his eyes back to the punching bag. The bag was almost flat, and one particular spot in the middle was drilled in, like someone took a hammer and hit it repeatedly. The rope at the top was snapped off, frayed at the end.

"I didn't-" Hairy Legs began. Then he sighed and put the bag down, a plop that sounded a lot like Shooting Star's beanbag. Bill almost cringed, but stopped himself in time. "I was kidding, kid. I've never- I've never seen a person hit a punching bag so hard to the point it- it _fell off_ ," Hairy Legs said in disbelief, his wide eyes on the punching bag on the floor.

"You asked, I delivered," Bill answered dryly. He took off his gloves and set them on the dirty table, wiping the sweat off his eyebrows. He glanced up at the clock, and saw that he's been here for two hours. _Two hours of pure hell_ , Bill thought bitterly. Going here was a waste of time. He'd rather be picking fights with real, breathing idiots than a punching bag who can't even throw a punch.

Hairy Legs was still gawking at the punching bag like an idiot when Bill pulled out a hundred dollar bill out of his borrowed shorts, slamming the green paper down on the table. It startled the instructor, and he looked up. He saw the one hundred dollar bill, and frowned. "Kid, I said I only needed-" he began.

"Keep the change. I don't need it," Bill cut off, his voice dry and plain.

Hairy Legs shook his head and took the bill, shoving the money into his own shorts. "You're the least most humanitarian I've ever seen in my life," he grumbled.

"Exactly. I plan on killing every human scum on this Earth when I take over," Bill answered, walking over to the vending machine with a dollar in hand. He slipped the bill in and punched in some codes, knowing exactly how to use it thanks to the same exact machine in the Mystery Shack.

"Then you clearly need to see more humans than the idiots you see on the streets, Bill," Hairy Legs answered, picking up the punching bag and leaning in against the wall. Bill scoffed.

"I'll just see more idiots, wherever I am," Bill murmured, taking the Pitt Cola out of the vending machine. He popped open the can and took a sip.

"You never know for sure, kid," Hairy Legs told him. Bill took another sip, leaning against the vending machine and looking at his instructor with an unimpressed look.

"Oh?" he challenged, his voice bored and unconvinced. Hairy Legs flashed him a grin, kicking the punching bag with the back of his heel so it didn't slope against the wall.

"There's a daycare around the block. 'Think it's called Little Lamby Daycare. My niece used to go there when she was younger."

"A daycare?" Bill asked in confusion, wrinkling his nose as he took a gulp of Pitt Cola and feeling the pitt go down his throat.

"A daycare. You know? The place where you send kids when you have work and they're too young to go to school or they don't have it for the day?" Hairy Legs answered, chuckling.

"A daycare," Bill echoed, testing the word on his tongue. It sounded interesting, he wasn't going to lie. He hasn't seen a lot of kids, other than the quiet or tantruming ones in the Mystery Shack that gave him headaches. Why would this big buffoon think that those tiny, undeveloped humans would make him change his mind about killing them all?

But it was worth a shot, anyway. He was bored, and he had nothing else to do. "Alright, I'm going," Bill answered.

He went to the changing room in the tiny, gross gym and changed out of the smelly shorts, deciding to take a shower for the hell of it. With his hair wet and his body still dripping with droplets of water, Bill slipped on his dirty jeans and hoodie, using a spare towel to rub down his hair as he saw Pine Tree do a million times, which, by the way, always turned him on. Hairy Legs clapped him on the back when he got out, wishing him to 'break a leg'. That term confused him, but he shook it off. Maybe humans were more insane than he initially thought if they thought that breaking a body part was good luck.

Bill walked out of the gym, shoving his hands into his pockets and making his way down the road as Hairy Legs instructed. He passed the back alley he was in, and saw policemen walking around, taking blood samples and what-not. He chuckled softly when he passed them. _Idiots,_ Bill thought, _the culprit is right here and they didn't even bother to check me._ He walked around the corner, squinting at the street name of the street over this horrible one. He found it funny that there was a daycare just a street over from a street filled with goons and tough guys. Maybe this is why the world needed to be destroyed as soon as possible. Too many things wrong with this place, even for his standards.

He kept pushing his legs, and realized that he was still tired, his legs buzzing with fatigue. Bill blinked, and kept trotting, his wet hair getting into his eyes. He didn't bother wiping them away, but shook his head violently instead. He passed house after house after business after business. He saw a food mart, another gym, a disgustingly pink house, and even a greenhouse that made him choke when he passed it. But, after a while, just on the brink of giving up and turning around, he spotted a giant, yellow bricked building titled, 'Little Lamby Daycare'. A billboard was right beside it, informing parents and guardians that 'bring your own teddy bear day' was tomorrow. It made him think of Shooting Star's own stuffed animals, and he quickly pushed the thoughts away with a disgusted wrinkle of his nose.

He stood in front of the building for god knows how long, but sighed and entered anyway, knowing perfectly well that he had no place to go to anyway. Last night, he slept in a girl's house after making out with her in exchange, but he made sure to brush his teeth five times when she fell asleep, disgusted with himself that he did such a thing. But the streets of Gravity Falls were no longer comfortable (he slept on the streets on the first days of him being human), as sleeping in Pine Tree's room became too much of a high expectation. That girl's room didn't even come close, either, even though she had fifteen pillows with a silky, comfortable blanket. Bill shuddered at the thought of sleeping next to that girl and making out with her again.

As soon as he stepped into the daycare, screams and cries filled his ears and bright light from the yellow walls almost blinded him. The only difference of these screams and cries were that it was screams of _joy_ , so different from the screams he got from torturing people and from the tantruming children in the tourist trap. He kind of liked it, smiled even.

But he dropped his smile as soon as a girl walked up to him and offered a kind smile, his face a mask of boredom even as he felt a little excitement bubble in his stomach. He was curious as to why Hairy Legs thought tiny, undeveloped adults would change his mind.

"Hello there! Are you here to pick up your child or to volunteer for the day?" the red-head asked, her smile still plastered onto her face.

"Oh, uh," Bill said, his brow furrowed, "I'm here to volunteer, I guess."

"Perfect! Did you fill out the form in order to help?" the girl asked.

"Um, yes," Bill lied, blinking once in surprise. The girl nodded in approval, and looked down at the table to her right. She found a clipboard and flipped through, and Bill took that distraction as a way to look around. Scribbles and colorful, messy drawings were hung on the yellow painted walls, and his eye twitched just by looking at them. They looked _horrible._ The only thing that looked decent was a drawing of two people at the very middle of all the stapled drawings. They were cartoonish, of course, but at least Bill could tell which one was the head and the arms. It was signed with a green marker, with the extremely scratchy writing that reminded of Bill of his own writing. It was signed as, 'made by JJ'.

"So your name is Robert Stacey Valentino?" the red-headed girl inquired. Bill almost laughed, but held his tongue. So the Stitched Heart Kid's middle name was Stacey? He knew that already of course, but hearing it out loud sounded so amusing to him. And anyway, since when did the emo boy work at _daycares_?

"Yes, but call me Bill, as weird as that sounds. I'm not particularly fond of my first name," Bill lied with a reassuring smile that he knew would sweep the girl off her feet. He never understood why humans were so lusted by his looks, but he wasn't going to start complaining now, was he?

"Wonderful! You can leave at any time you want! Our next volunteer comes here in about half an hour!" the girl sang out. She instructed him where the kids were, pointing at the open door right behind her. Bill peered out, and saw some kids, ages three to twelve, running around, chasing each other with foam swords with paper hats. The quieter kids drew on small tables, hunched over with concentrated looks on their faces. The louder ones, the ones even more social than the ones running around, were yelling and screaming, but they were laughing, like they were having the time of their lives. What was this feeling in his heart that made him want to reach over and apparently protect them all? He could imagine Shooting Star laughing at him right now, along with Pine Tree rolling his eyes with an amused quirk of the lips. That thought made his heart feel cold again, and his small smile threatened to drop.

But for the sake of the girl watching him carefully, Bill kept smiling and bobbed his head once to show that he understood. "Sorry to bother, but what exactly am I supposed to do with these undeve- I mean, children?" Bill asked in curiosity.

"Oh, just play with them! Help them with drawing, tell them stories- they love fairy tales the most-, play some tag, anything, to be honest. As long as you're doing _something_ with the kids, it's fine," the girl told him with a wave of a hand. She walked away to make some snacks for the kids, according to her, and left Bill alone in the bright hallway.

Bill squared his shoulders and breathed in deep, walking into the room one foot after another. As soon as he entered, kids stopped what they were doing. The ones screaming stopped mid-scream, looking over at him with curious looks. The ones drawing even looked up, abandoning their tightly clutched markers. It was suddenly quiet in the room.

"Hey, you're not Robbie!" one person argued. Bill opened his mouth to answer, but was beat.

"No one asked you for your opinion, Tyrone!"

That caused laughter to erupt in the room, and a little girl said, "Besides, he looks cute! I bet my big sister would bang him! But uh, what does that even mean? She says that whenever she finds someone cute. Why would she shoot them, mister? Is she a tsundere?"

Bill was never so confused in his life.

Suddenly, he was mobbed, little kids reaching out to him with foam swords, markers, or toys like they were autographs, and Bill felt a little overwhelmed. Screams of "Play with me!" screamed out throughout the room, and Bill found himself in a situation he never thought he would ever dream of. Instead of people screaming at him, screaming at him in _fear,_ people were screaming at him because they wanted him here. For once, he didn't feel like a demon sent here to fall in love then surge his plan to wipe off every human on Earth. For once, he felt like a human. A flawed, helpless person, but one with a heart.

"Wh- hey! Okay, okay! Calm down, kiddos!" Bill yelled out in a panic, lifting a foot to stop a little girl from being pushed to the ground.

The children quieted down at his voice like obedient dogs, their arms falling back down to their sides uselessly. "How about- we play a group game, yeah? Any ideas in your tiny, undeveloped minds?" Bill asked, almost breathless from the overwhelming situation. The room burst into shouts of ideas, things like tag, foam sword fights, drawing contests, games Bill never heard of, and he even heard one shout, "Let's all fight to the death!" Though he liked that idea, he didn't think the red-headed girl would appreciate dead children and blood all over the carpet.

"Enough!" Bill bellowed after a while, stopping all voices from yelling out. The kids shut their mouths in an instant, and Bill felt bad for lashing out. Wait, he wasn't supposed to feel bad. No, yeah, what?

"Sorry, sorry. I was just meaning to say, uh, how about I ask a random person and see what the group thinks, hmm?" Bill started again, causing the kids to bob their heads and land out a chorus of yeah's. He rubbed his non-existent beard on his chin and looked around the room of huddled children. Some jumped up to catch his attention, and some withered away from his gaze. His eyes landed on a brown haired kid, wearing a familiar green question mark shirt that was a little over-sized. No, "a little" over-sized was an understatement. It basically reached up to the boy's knees.

"You," Bill announced, pointing at the boy.

The boy looked up, startled. He pointed at his chest. "M- me?" he stammered. Bill smiled and nodded. Everyone's heads whipped over to the boy, waiting for his answer. "Well, uh-" the boy stammered, withering away from the stares. "We- we could try playing...the 'honey if you love me' game, I guess?" he blurted.

There was a chorus of groans, cheers, and 'um, okay's all over the room. Bill, on the other hand, tilted his head to the side slightly in confusion. "I may be an intergalactic demon with the knowledge of this universe and other dimensions, but someone please explain this game to me?" Bill asked the group of children. They giggled, and somehow all arranged themselves in a circle, their legs crossed and their hands in their laps. It left Bill a little confused. "Boy, explain this," Bill said, nodding at the boy who suggested the game.

"Oh, well," the boy began, his voice quiet as he sat down clumsily beside a girl with pigtails. "One person is it, and they have to go around the circle asking, 'Honey, if you love me, will you please smile for me?' and do funny faces or anything without touching the other. The other person has to answer, 'Darling, I love you, but I just can't smile for you'," the boy explained.

"I thought it was 'honey' not 'darling' for the answer?" a girl asked in confusion.

"No, no, that's alright. I like 'darling' better," Bill answered, taking a seat on the only available spot. He crossed his legs, and looked around the group.

"So, who wants to be it then?" Bill inquired.

Hands shot up in the air, and people screamed out, "Pick me, pick me, pick me!" Bill swept his eyes around the place, putting on a thinking face. Hands waved up like a dog's tail, and some just kept their hands down, watching the excited suitors with giggles and smiles on their faces. The only one who looked a little miserable was the boy, who has his arms crossed over his chest and watched the circled group with a small pout.

"How about you? Do you want to be it? You're the one who suggested it, anyway," Bill drawled, pointing at the miserable boy. The boy looked up once more, his eyes wide.

"Mister, I don't think that's a good-" he stammered.

"Oh, don't be silly, kiddo. You'll do fine!" Bill encouraged, smiling reassuringly. Somehow the smile felt refreshing on his face.

"No, really, you can just pick someone e-" the boy stuttered, his eyes wide with panic.

"C'mon, have some fun, loosen up! What will your parents say?" Bill asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Well, they'd probably want me to play," the boy answered meekly.

"Exactly! Now, get up, meatsack, and let's see who in this room can be the first loser."

That caused the kids to laugh, and the boy smiled weakly in response. Either way, he got up, looking around the room with shaking hands. Some kids whispered at him to go over to them or to someone else, and some kids gave him a shake of a head when he began to walk towards them. The boy looked utterly lost, and his eyes darted around crazily. Bill crossed his arms over his chest and watched the scene unfold. He should be laughing, laughing at the boy's obvious discomfort, but for some reason, he felt bad. Maybe he should've picked a more confident kid.

And Bill was just about to voice that out, when suddenly, the boy walked over to him, his head hung low. And the boy stood in front of him, and the kids watched them with curious looks. "Honey, if you love me, will you please smile for me?" the boy asked meekly, offering a watery smile in an attempt to look silly. Bill wanted to smile at the boy's sudden bravery, but he wasn't a loser. He refused to be.

So, with a tilt of a head, Bill answered.

"Darling, I love you, but I just can't smile for you."

He almost smiled. But not from how funny it was but because- well...if only Pine Tree was here. Bill missed him more than ever.

The kids oohed and the boy hung his head lower. He was about to turn around, but not before Bill whispered, "Good job, kiddo. You're going to break some hearts when you grow up, I can tell."

The kid's shoulders squared up, and his head lifted. He went to the next person over, a girl with blonde pigtails. The girl's friends began to laugh, and the girl's face heated up, but she just downright refused to smile. "Honey, if you love me, will you please smile for me?" the boy croaked out. And, with a hesitant glance towards Bill, who nodded at him with a small smile and leaned forward, the boy turned back to look at the girl with crossed eyes and pulled out his ears in a silly way. Without even uttering the sentence, the pig-tailed girl began to laugh, as did half of the group.

They played on for what seemed like hours, but Bill actually liked it. He loved seeing the kids laughing and scowling at each other when they accidentally smiled. He loved hearing them laugh when he commented something along the lines of, "You know, a friend of mine might start shipping you two if she ever saw this," even if half of them didn't get what that meant (hell, he didn't either). He loved seeing them break into smiles and overall having a fun time, and he found himself enjoying it as well. For once, _this_ was much more fun than breaking the faces of goons off the street.

They stopped playing when everyone got a turn at least twice, Bill suggesting they play another game so they wouldn't get bored. He was about to suggest a game when suddenly, everyone jumped up, screaming, "Snack time!"

He looked behind him, the stampede of children swarming to some daycare workers near the door, handing out cookies and milk to the screaming kids. He yawned and got up, stretching his strained back. Bill looked around the room, and saw that only one person wasn't out there near the front, reaching for some cookies. It was the boy with the over-sized shirt, hunched over a table with a green crayon in hand.

Bill walked over in curiosity. He strutted over, the boy not even looking up from his footsteps. He leaned over and peered over at the boy's drawing. It was a work in progress, but he could tell what the young boy was drawing. He was drawing a baby in a cradle, a cow lick on the baby's sleeping face. Up at the corner of the paper was the words, 'made by JJ'.

"So you're the kid who drew that drawing out in the hallway?" Bill inquired, pulling a chair and sitting beside the boy. JJ made a "uh huh" sound in his throat, coloring the baby's blankets a dark green. "Do you happen to know a Jesus Ramirez by any chance?" Bill asked once more, curious as to why the boy had the same shirt as the old boss and worker of the Mystery Shack. The boy's crayon slammed on the table and his head craned up to look at Bill with wide eyes.

"You know my dad?" JJ asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Know him? I know when he's gonna die and everything," Bill chuckled, taking a brown crayon and pressing it to the cradle, coloring it mindlessly.

"You do? What was he like? How did he meet Mom? Was he awesome? Was he weird?" JJ asked, question after question with an excited look on his face. Bill gestured for him to keep coloring the blanket, and he did, coloring around Bill's wrist. 

"Yes, I did, he was a hard worker, kind of didn't have any friends except for a few, he met Melody in a shopping mall -very interesting story by the way, maybe I could tell you some other time-, he wasn't 'awesome', no one is compared to me, but I guess if you asked some of his close friends they'd say yes, and yes, he was weird, but not as weird as me," Bill answered breezily.

"Wow," JJ breathed.

"Say, kiddo," Bill spoke, finishing up with coloring the cradle with his tongue stuck out to the side. "How old are ya? What does your name stand for?" JJ thought for a while, which Bill thought was a little amusing.

"I'm five and a half. My birthday is coming up, actually. JJ stands for Jesus Junior. I'm named after my dad," JJ said proudly. Bill did the calculations in his head, and realized that JJ was born around the time he was banished. Wow, Soos has been getting it on, and he wasn't even there.

"And how about this picture? Who is this?" Bill asked, just to keep the conversation going.

"My little sister. She was just born a few weeks ago," the boy answered with a proud smile. JJ looked up at him for a brief moment. "Do _you_ have any siblings?" the boy asked.

Bill shook his head. "Maybe. But I never would have met them. I never would have cared for them anyway," Bill answered truthfully. JJ frowned.

"But you want one, don't you?" JJ asked in curiosity. Bill thought about the twins. The two sets of twins he knew, at least. Dipper and Mabel, and Stanford and Stanley. How close they were, like two halves of a whole. Taking one away was taking everything. And, even in the darkest times, they still had each other. Bill felt jealousy bubble in his stomach.

"Yes," Bill answered once more, his voice barely above a whisper.

He cleared his throat to make up for what happened. "You're one talented artist," Bill commented. He wasn't even lying. The boy was drawing ten times better than he was, and the boy wasn't even developed yet. To his surprise, JJ didn't say thanks or smile, but frowned. His coloring faltered slightly, but he kept going when he realized that he was stopping.

"No, I'm not. My drawings are barely good enough for my parents to even care," JJ whispered, his eyes glistening with tears. Bill pursed his lips. He wasn't good with advice, but he could try, couldn't he?

"Don't say that," Bill told him a little harshly, "you're an even better artist than I am, and you're only five." JJ pouted, trading his crayon for another one on the table. "Listen, kiddo, you're going to grow up, and you're going to get better at this. Trust me. Everyone develops one way or another. Maybe in a few days, or in a few years. It doesn't matter. But what matters is what you think of yourself. I know for a fact, after being here just a couple weeks, is that you are your worst critic. And the more you grow up, the worst the little voice in your head gets. So don't listen to it. If you do, I'll get into your head myself to drag it out by its ankles," Bill said again. JJ's face softened, and he quickly wiped his nose on his sleeve.

"Thanks, mister," JJ beamed.

Bill put down the brown crayon, just in time to see a little girl trip in front of him. She squeaked, and turned around on the floor. Her knee bled, and as soon as she saw the bleeding, she began to cry.

Bill frowned and got up from his chair, kneeling down next to the girl. He wiped the blood away with a sleeve, and the girl blubbered. He looked around and found a whole box of band-aids on the counter a few feet away. He got up, took the box, and came back to the girl. He unwrapped a band-aid and stuck it onto the girl's knee, rubbing a thumb over the band-aid to make sure it stuck on properly. The girl sniffled, placing a hand over her bandaged knee. "Is that better?" Bill asked quietly. She nodded silently.

Bill was about to get up from his position next to the girl when she spoke. "Can you kiss it better? Mommy used to do that all the time," the girl asked him quietly. Bill smiled at her kindly.

"Yeah, yeah of course," he answered. He bent down and kissed her knee, then straightened his spine. He clapped her on the shoulder and got up from the floor with a knee, flashing her the thumbs up. She flashed him back with the thumbs up, smiling gratefully.

The blond boy sat back down next to the coloring boy, watching the girl to make sure she didn't get hurt again. When she got up and ran back to her concerned friends, laughing and smiling again, that's when Bill finally turned his attention back to JJ.

"Do you have a Melody in your life?" JJ suddenly asked him without looking up.

"Pardon me?" Bill blinked.

"As in, someone...special, as Dad puts it. Everyone always say, 'Oh, Soos and Melody are so perfect!' or 'Soos and Melody are so perfect for each other and they're so in love!'. Do _you_ have anyone like that in your life, mister?" JJ asked innocently, finally looking up at Bill. Bill's eyes hooded halfway, and he frowned.

"Once," Bill admitted softly, shrugging to seem casual. JJ frowned at him, his black pupils flitting over behind Bill then back to him.

"Once? What happened, mister?"

"They don't like me anymore, okay?" Bill told him, his voice bitter.

"What? That can't be true! You're so nice! I mean, look! You helped that girl back up without hesitation!" JJ argued, his brow furrowed together in confusion. As if the thought that someone wouldn't  _like_ Bill was a federal offense.

"Look, kid, you wouldn't understand," Bill sighed, running a hand through his hair. It was no longer wet, thankfully.

"So? I still wanna know! No one tells me anything because I'm five! No one told me I was going to have a sister! No one told me that mom wasn't actually just getting fat, she just ate my sister!" JJ argued.

Bill smiled at that, resting his head on his hand propped up on the table. "You really want to know, don't cha?" Bill chuckled.

"Yes," the boy answered boldly. Bill shook his head, blowing a stray strand of his hair out of his face.

"I...made a mistake just two nights ago. If I were them, I would've exploded even harder than they did. I would never forgive them, and that's understandable. We're not talking anymore- and he's in the hospital," Bill told the boy. JJ tilted his head, his brow still knitted together. His chubby face was contorted in confusion.

"Then say you're sorry. It's okay to swallow up your pride once in a while, you know," JJ reminded him.

"You think I don't know that?" Bill said bitterly, flicking his eyes down to the colorful, red table. "I did, JJ, I did. I traded part of my soul for him, but he's never going to forgive me," Bill said once more.

JJ stayed quiet. He thought that JJ was no longer interested in this, up until the boy began to lecture. "Whatever mistake you did, mister, I know that it's probably unforgivable. What did you do, exactly?" he asked. And because Bill couldn't help it, because he was hiding it, because he needed to talk about to someone or else he was going to burst at the seams, he told the boy.

He told the boy everything, from the deal he made, to cheating on Dipper without meaning to. He tried to make it as child friendly as he can, because even though he was a trillion year old demon with no real physical heart, he still had a duty and that was to protect this poor child's innocence.

And when he finished, JJ was already finished with his drawing. He turned it around so no one could see his finished drawing, and JJ looked up at Bill with a curious look on his face. "But do you still want him back?" JJ finally asked, a moment of silence between them.

"Yeah," Bill breathed, "more than anything in the world."

"Then get him back. You told me not to give up, and I won't. So, don't give up either. The way I see it, this guy loves you as well, maybe even more. He's hurt, and you're hurting him even more by staying away. Go to him. Buy some flowers. Some chocolates. Make up a sappy speech. Anything to make that guy smile again," JJ told him.

Bill opened his mouth to reply, to say thank you, even if it wasn't going to work. He didn't realize how much he needed someone to talk to him about this until now, even if it was a little kid with little to no knowledge about the thing he was going through. He was extremely grateful.

But he couldn't say it, because out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of blonde hair and a purple jacket.

With a growl and a, "See you around, kiddo," to JJ, he got up from his small chair and stalked over outside of the room of happy children, oblivious to his sudden coldness. As soon as he was out the door, he shut the door to the daycare kids with a heel, the door clicking shut.

" _What are you doing here?_ " Bill snapped at Pacifica.

She whipped her head around so quickly that she would've gotten whiplash. Her eyes widen when she saw Bill, then she scowled. "What are _you_ doing here?" Pacifica asked back in disgust.

"I'm here to volunteer, obviously. Is the blonde stereotype actually true or what?" Bill said sarcastically.

"Ugh, you're a blonde too, if you haven't noticed!" Pacifica growled. She stomped her foot almost childishly. "You're not supposed to be here!" she shouted angrily.

Bill glanced around the hallway. No one was here except them, the other daycare workers in closed rooms, probably working on another snack for the kids or something. "I know," Bill answered calmly, "how about you? Why would someone like you, a fucking Northwest for Pete's sake, want to _volunteer_?"

Pacifica's lips curled back in disgust. "My family isn't all that bad, you know," she snapped.

"But it's true, isn't it?" Bill snapped back. The blondie didn't reply. Bill's lips quirked.

"I'm here because Mabel volunteers here as much as she can," Pacifica said quietly, "I just wanted to see if she was here."

"Well, for your information, she isn't. She probably won't for a long while," Bill answered dryly. Pacifica's eye twitched, and for a moment, her face reflected the same look he had when he found out that his Pine Tree got into a car accident.

"I still don't know if she's okay. I- I didn't have time to drop off there because of my goddamn schedule," Pacifica said, her voice suddenly bitter at the end. Bill laughed humourlessly, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the yellow-bricked wall.

"If you really loved her," Bill snarled, "you would've found time to see her."

"I was busy!" Pacifica snapped.

"So? What would you have done, if she was in a coma right now and she might be dying this instant? What would you rather do, go to a business meeting in China or be there for the girl who has been there for _you_ countless times?" Bill told her, his anger getting the best of him. Was this girl serious?

Pacifica's face was crestfallen, as if she was suddenly realizing this now. She was quiet, away in her own world of remorse, until her eyes flickered back up to Bill. "I- I just thought-" she squeaked out.

"You thought _nothing,_ Northwest Brat. If you really loved her, you would be _there_ for her! And look at what you did. I'm trying to fix the mistake I made, but what are _you_ doing? Waiting for her to come to _you_ so you could blubber over her? This is exactly why Mabel hates you, Pacifica! You always expect people to do everything for you!" Bill shouted angrily. He didn't even realize he didn't call her Shooting Star. He was too angry to care.

Pacifica was quiet, opening and closing her mouth every five seconds. She stayed like that for a couple minutes, with her rethinking her decision every second, while Bill quietly seethed, his anger about to burst if she was going to speak once more. But to his surprise, she finally answered.

"Then I'll find time for her, right now," she said boldly. Bill raised an eyebrow in question. "We're going to talk about this, right now, Bill, at Greasy's. I'm cancelling my meeting right now," Pacifica said harshly, fishing for her phone in her pocket. Bill's eyebrows rose higher. "You're going to explain to me why you're so hurt over this, Cipher, because I know for fact that you could just destroy Gravity Falls again with a snap of your fingers instead of falling in love with my girlfriend's brother," the blonde girl said once more, glancing up at him curiously. "Mabel told me about you and your sticky situation but apparently...not enough."

"Sounds like a plan, Miss Direction," Bill said quietly. His right hand came over his left, feeling for his Pine Tree's promise ring. He ran his thumb over the cold ring, smiling even with the situation in front of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would be a filthy liar if I didn't imagine a Dad Bill AU right after writing this, dang. I honestly have this headcanon (that I may or may not have slipped it into this fic I am so sorry) that Bill really likes kids because of their chaotic personalities and weird outlooks in life, so there's that :D.


	22. Love Is a Flame with a Long Shadow

_"I need to do something_  
_I fucked up for nothing_  
_Now I gotta just tell someone,_  
_Tell someone what I've done_  
_Please bathe me now, wash me clean_  
_Just set my heart on fire, like gasoline_  
_Bathe me now, wash me clean_  
_Just set my heart on fire, like gasoline_  
_Oh, no, like gasoline."_

**[Gasoline | Troye Sivan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtgatdQ-Vgg) **

* * *

"You wanna hear a joke, Dip? Wait, of course you do. You have no choice anyway. My ex-girlfriend still misses me- BUT HER AIM IS GETTIN' BETTER."

Dipper laughed softly under his breath, no sound coming out from his throat. The only indication of him laughing was his shaking shoulders and smile. His smile made Mabel grin, and she pumped the air with a fist. "Ugh, finally! I've been trying so damn hard to stop making you scowl at the table!" she whooped. He rolled his eyes (eye?), his soft smile still on his face. He tapped his marker on the table, and decided to write something down on the small whiteboard Mabel brought with them to help him communicate. _I_ _need to smile? How about you?_ he wrote, underlining 'I'.

"I'm fine, Dip Dip. Or, at least I will be when the food gets here," Mabel assured him, waving a hand in dismissal, her eyes twinkling with joy. They ordered a couple minutes ago, getting two hamburgers plus some milk shakes. Dipper wanted some fries, but he couldn't argue fast enough with her. She got them salad instead, which Dipper wrinkled his nose at. In response, Mabel rolled her eyes at her brother's disgust over healthy food.

Dipper licked his lips, then bent over and began writing again. _Any news about Soos and Melody?_ he wrote on the whiteboard. Mabel hummed, playing with a marble on the table as it rolled around. "They just got here this morning. 'Said they'd be here for maybe, I dunno, a few days? They didn't know about our...crash until I told them. They were worried, but I told them we were fine," Mabel answered, eyes following the marble, "and I heard that JJ made a new friend at the daycare. And you know how hard it is for him to make friends. This is big news, Dip!"

Dipper's eyebrows rose up in surprise. JJ made a new friend? At the daycare? Wow. When he last saw the little guy, JJ barely had any friends other than his parents and the twins. Dipper became his godfather to Soos and Melody's request, and the newborn was Mabel's priority as well. The one thing JJ and Dipper had in common was that they were the most anti-social kids in the world. JJ having a friend was a reason to celebrate. _What's his friend's name?_ Dipper wrote. Mabel shrugged, the marble falling off the table. She swore and bent down to pick it up.

"According to Soos, JJ made friends with one of the volunteers. The little kid wouldn't stop talking about him. I really want to meet this new volunteer, he sounds amazing with kids!" Mabel gushed. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she quickly pulled it out with an apologetic look.

Dipper crossed his arms over his chest and watched her, his back leaning against the restaurant chair. Mabel's eyes narrowed, and she huffed out a breath, stuffing her phone back into her purse. "Sorry, just a distraction," she apologized to her brother. Dipper tilted his head slightly in question. He didn't need to write it down for her to get the message. "Oh, no no. It's not-" Mabel began, clamping her mouth shut. It was like her name was cursed.

Dipper realized his mistake and quickly put a hand on the whiteboard, scratching down a response. _Who was it?_

Mabel's face flashed with a crestfallen look, before it was replaced with a sheepish look. "N- no one. Just an email," she admitted, playing with the marble once more. Dipper raised his eyebrows. Mabel swallowed, and Dipper shifted his weight underneath himself uncomfortably. "Maybe we should eat first before we-" Mabel suggested.

" _M_ -" Dipper began, his voice scratchy and croaky. It hurt to even form that first letter, and he doubled over and started coughing.

"Don't do that, Dip! I told you to use the whiteboard," Mabel scolded, her voice becoming softer and softer with each word.

Her brow furrowed in worry, and she stood up to come over to him. Dipper waved her off, and looked up, rubbing his throat painfully. _Tell me_ , he mouthed. Mabel's brows knitted together tighter, and she opened her mouth to answer. Then she clamped it shut like a trap, and shook her head. "Food first, then we talk," she told him. Then she thought about it. "Or, I talk. You write," she giggled.

 _Mabel,_ he said through his eyes. Mabel's eyes softened, and Dipper's crossed arms uncrossed, putting his hands in his lap. _I can handle it._

Mabel scratched the back of her head, and she avoided his eyes like they were lava. His twin was starting to scare him, and Dipper kept wringing his hands in his lap in nervousness. A silence passed between them, until the only sound in the diner was the sound of fries being cooked in the kitchen. Dipper didn't know if they were the only ones in the diner, but it was very much possible with how quiet it was in here.

"I'm going back to Piedmont next week," Mabel told him, her voice barely above a whisper.

Dipper's knee rattled the table.

If he could talk right now, he'd be yelling at her, screaming his head off. Dipper would have angry tears running down his face as he screamed, looking down at his sister with a scowl. _I lost him, Mabel, I can't lose you too. No, no, no, no, no- please,_ please _tell me this is a joke._

But instead, he stayed quiet, his mind racing with a million thoughts, with all saying the same thing- he couldn't lose her too. Not now, with everything happening.

"Dip? Dip, are you okay? I said that I was coming back here in time for our birthday," Mabel called out, snapping her fingers in front of him with a sad look on her face. He opened his mouth, then closed it, remembering his condition. He felt angry, frustrated tears surfacing in his eyes. But he blinked them away. And before he could write down again on his whiteboard, Mabel already knew the question in his eyes. _Why? Why leave me here, after everything that happened?_

Mabel barely had an answer ready. She opened her mouth to answer, then shut it tight, as _she_ was the one with the vocal disruption. With a frown, she sighed through her nose and massaged her eyelids with a hand. They were both quiet for a long while, time melting away like an hourglass. Dipper felt his breathing become harder and harder as the time went by, like his lungs were being crushed by an invisible force. He was ready to explode, to yell at his sister, to make her understand that he couldn't lose her too. But it was his damned vocal cords that kept him back, and his hands were shaking too much to be able to write.

"I can't- I can't stay here anymore, Dip," Mabel whispered, her voice strained and soft. Dipper wrung his hands, stilling them as best as he could. When they were presentable, he lifted them off his lap and took the marker. The marker squeaked as he wrote, and Mabel cringed. He set it down when he finished a few moments later, bringing his hands down to his lap almost immediately so his sister wouldn't see him shake. He had to look calm. To make it seem like he didn't care.

_Then let me go with you. I'm not leaving you alone again. I told you that._

"Dipping Sauce," Mabel croaked, her voice strained and sad, despite the teasing nickname she gave him. "I- I can't, okay? After everything that happened, I just- I think I might fall apart. I already gave Waddles away to a good owner just yesterday, before we went to- you know. I don't think I can take care of him anymore."

Dipper felt his anger flare in his chest. Is that why he didn't see Waddles around when he came back into the Shack with Mabel? Why would she give away one of the things that made her happy? Didn't she know that he was going through exactly what she was going through? That he was cheated on, too? That he gave his already broken heart to someone he thought was going to fix it, not break it further?

"I'm not as strong as you," Mabel suddenly said, causing Dipper to look up at her from scowling at the table in surprise. "I mean- look at you. You've fought monsters, went to extreme levels of stress countless times, got your heart broken in the worst way possible, but you're still here. I, on the other hand, couldn't even stand looking at a monster without squeaking, or stomach the idea of plowing through monster blood in order to find clues to a bigger, muckier monster. Without even realizing it, Dip, you're the stronger twin. I may keep us together, but you're the one who would put everyone else first before yourself. Staying here, in Gravity Falls, I just...I can't take it anymore." 

 _Is this because of her?_ Dipper wrote down on the whiteboard, as soon as he wiped off the last message with a sleeve. Mabel looked down at the message with hooded eyes, before realizing that Dipper was watching her closely. She shook her head, sighing heavily. "She's part of it. She made me realize I need to leave, but I've been thinking about never coming back every summer since we were twelve," Mabel answered truthfully, her voice bitter and cold, like admitting it was a crime. And in a way, it was. Dipper merely blinked in confusion, and he felt his hands freeze in deeper confusion. Mabel wanted to leave before?

"I know this is confusing to you, Dip, but it's a long story," Mabel told him when she saw his utter confusion. _Then tell me everything,_ his eyes said to her. And this time, it was her who couldn't speak. Her jaw ticked as she tried to work up the words, but she always swallowed and tensed her jaw every time. _I can't,_ her eyes told him, wide with fear and panic.

Dipper's jaw clenched, and his back slid down against his seat. The cushion molded to his sudden weight, and Dipper closed his eyes. He suddenly wished he had his hat back, so he could pull it down and hide his eyes. But no one can have everything in life, and Dipper felt his ears pop in the stress he was in. First Bill, then his sister. Everything he loved was leaving him. His boyfriend cheated on him because he clearly wasn't good enough, and his other half was leaving him for a reason he still couldn't understand. But, in a way, he guessed he did understand. How many times did he hear crying through his wall, even before the Incident, thinking it was her just watching romance movies? How many times did he see orders for prescription drugs online being sent to the Shack, waving it off as his Grunkles with their problems? How many fucking times did he find _knives_ in her room, even before the Incident, waving it off as Mabel behavior? What, exactly, happened to make his sister like this?

And, with a cold shiver that made Dipper visibly shudder, he realized that he wasn't noticing things he should have until now. Every time they were going back to Gravity Falls, Mabel was always quiet, only becoming bubbly again when the Shack came into view. He always thought it was because of the nerves of seeing her friends and family again, but what if she just really didn't want to go back to Gravity Falls? He thought about it more. Mabel locking herself in her room for the few couple days in Gravity Falls, Mabel openly avoiding going to different places in Gravity Falls other than the Shack and some tourist spots because she "didn't want to", Mabel's change in attitude around Bill, Mabel never acting like, well... _Mabel_ in Gravity Falls. She was unhappy here. And Dipper didn't see that until _now._

He opened his eyes, his eyes dimly adjusting to the light. He was wearing his glasses, but the late afternoon light still blinded him for a moment. And when he did adjust, the first thing he saw was his sister, frowning at him with a furrowed brow in concern. And, thanks to their twin telepathy, she knew the question in his face before he could write them down. _What happened to you?_

"The first summer we were here, Dip-" Mabel began, her voice catching in her throat. Her eyes flashed with emotions, one after another. First anger, then sadness, then guilt, and so on. Dipper could barely catch up with her emotions. It was like watching a television Grunkle Stan was using, flipping through before the current one could register. "It was basically hell and heaven mixed into one. I won Waddles at a fair, I met my two best friends and the light of my world, and then...something happened. It didn't settle in until a few months after it, but it _destroyed_ you. And seeing you like that, it destroyed me too," Mabel said quietly, her head down and her eyes not meeting her brother's.

 _You want to leave Gravity Falls because of something that happened over five years ago?_ Dipper wanted to scream at her. But his hands were shaking too much to even write it down, and he was half thankful and half bitter that Mabel could understand what he was expressing. "You don't just get it, Dipper. You can't. I told you so in the amusement park but you're still not letting this go," Mabel told him meekly.

 _Then what is there to get, Mabel? I get it, you're hurt, but so am I. We're twins, we were supposed to be there for each other no matter what, but you're making it pretty difficult at the moment,_ Dipper wanted to snap. But once again, Mabel got the message, and her eyes clouded over. "I'll explain it to you soon, Dipper, but I can't. Not now, okay? I'll...send a letter after a few days in Piedmont. It'll explain everything, I promise," Mabel whispered. With a start, Dipper realized that his sister was scared. Scared of him, scared of something that he couldn't understand.

Without warning, his sister cleared her throat and started smiling, as if nothing never happened. As if she wasn't about to leave her twin alone in this world full of cruel people in a week. "How about...we play the scribble game?" she asked him gently. The scribble game was his favourite game to play on paper or on any kind of surface. It kind of became tradition to play it while they waited for food, playing on napkins or the notepads Dipper would always bring. Basically, one of them had to draw a kind of scribble or line, and the other had to draw something out of that. And, not to brag, they both were really good artists. It was something their Grunkle Ford was proud of, bragging that they got their artistic genes from him every single time they showcased the game around him.

And since Dipper didn't want his sister to know that he was falling apart, he smiled.

They played for what seemed like hours, laughing and teasing each other when they got a good piece from the scribble one made. One time, Mabel drew a slightly curved-in line and Dipper made a shooting star out of it, just out of reflex. When he realized his mistake, he quickly erased it, drawing his own scribble down with an apologetic grin. Mabel smiled back at him, and they kept playing. They drew mermaids, silly faces, awfully drawn (on purpose, of course) of people they knew, amazing renditions of monsters they saw around the town in their years here, and of course, drawings of each other when the other's scribble was perfect for the curve of their hat or the line of their sweater. They smiled and laughed, slowly forgetting about the hearts heavy in their chests.

And with the drawing, came their quiet conversations. It was either with their eyes or with the board, but either way, they were communicating like the twins they were supposed to be. When they drew a particularly funny drawing that reminded them of a funny time, they'd look up at each other with tight lips, trying hard not to burst out laughing at the memories. _Remember when you got your braces stuck in a fence in eighth grade?_ Dipper would remind her. _Remember when you tried to ask this girl out to the dance and she spilled juice all over your shirt?_ she'd chirp back with a quirk of her lips and amused eyes. Then, when they got tired of looking up at each other, they'd write down those memories on the whiteboard in the corner while the other thought about what to draw. _Yo Dip, did you do the dishes last night?_ Mabel would write. _Fuck them dishes. We can eat out of pots,_ Dipper would write back, causing Mabel to laugh out loud. And as suspected, they were the only ones in the diner, but the waiter and cook would look up at them in confusion when they laughed without speaking. It was amusing to watch, when people got confused with their twin telepathy.

Mabel drew down two curvy lines parallel, smirking at Dipper's concentrated face. He pursed his lips and took up the marker, tapping it on his chin. Mabel hummed like she was already victorious, and he knew without looking down that she was swinging her feet. "Tick tock, Sir Dipping Sauce. Did you give up to the Queen of Mabeltown yet?" Mabel sang out. Dipper gave her a teasing pout, then flicked his eyes back down to the board.

And when he got his idea, pressing the tip of the marker to one of the lines' ends, he heard a soft gasp.

He looked up as a reflex, and saw Mabel clap a hand to her mouth. She put it down when she saw Dipper looking at her in curiosity, and gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry, I just thought- keep going, sorry," she apologized quickly. A little too quickly for Dipper's liking. He squinted at her, and her grin widened. "Nothing's wrong, I swear, I just thought-" she assured him. And then Mabel's eyes flickered backwards, looking over his shoulder in curiosity. Her eyes narrowed, and she flicked them back to Dipper. And because he was curious and Mabel looked just about ready to kill a man (which was saying something), he looked back.

Bill Cipher and Pacifica Elise Northwest entered the diner behind them, taking a seat in one of the booths with matching soft smiles. And was it just him, or was Pacifica wearing Bill's hoodie?

Dipper's lungs contracted, and he released a breath, feeling himself shake. He quickly looked back at Mabel, hiding his frame thanks to the back of his seat. They didn't see them. Good.

"Why are they here?" Mabel hissed before Dipper could. He shrugged, looking as nonchalant as ever. But inside, he was burning up a volcano, ready to explode if he didn't get out here. The _nerve_ those two had, to walk in here like they were already a couple. To walk in here with smiles like cheating on two already broken hearts was an achievement. His marker was groaning under the pressure he was putting on it, and he loosened his grip, capping the marker with a shaky breath. Mabel, across from him, had a blank look on her face, her hands hidden away on her lap. Her eyes were downcasted, but he saw the pain in them the moment she looked down. He was going to murder Pacifica the first chance he got.

He tapped on the table with the capped marker, getting his sister's attention, who looked up at him in surprise. He jerked his head to the exit right behind them, to get out while Bill and Pacifica were distracted. If Dipper didn't get out in the next five minutes, he felt like he was going to explode. On Mabel, on Pacifica, or on Bill. He didn't know. And he wasn't about to find out.

But to his surprise, his sister shook her head slowly, her eyes a mirror of cold and distance.

"I can hear them from here if I tried. Or, at least, we could see how they're acting around each other. I'm curious. Aren't you?" Mabel asked him hoarsely. He didn't think about spying on them before. But he had to admit, it was a good idea. Even though he already had a feeling. But to fulfill his sister's wish, he nodded, biting his bottom lip painfully.

"Do you want to keep playing?" Mabel asked him quietly, as if the 'couple' next to them could hear her words. He shrugged, and uncapped the marker once more. He wrote down, _your turn?  
_

They played for a while longer, their milkshakes finally being delivered as they did so. They sipped on their creamy shakes while they played, but this time, with a tense air around them. They didn't laugh as often, nor did they even crack a smile. They were quiet, playing and sometimes snorting in amusement when the other put something down that would've made them laugh in normal circumstances. But this situation was definitely not normal, and they scribbled and drew with pursed lips.

"Yo, Dip," Mabel finally said, breaking the silence between the twins. "I'm going to use the washroom. You okay here?"

Dipper capped his marker and set it down, nodding to his sister in approval. But instead of getting up and going as she would usually do, she looked behind him hesitantly. He knew what she was thinking, and shook his head. _The washroom is behind us. They can't see you with being in the corner like that,_ he told her with his eyes. She pursed her lips, and nodded. But before Mabel could move away, with her already standing up and one foot out of their booth, Dipper tapped a finger on the table. "What?" she asked in confusion.

Dipper held up a right hand, his pinky finger and index finger up like he was about to rock and roll, but his thumb jutted out as well. It was the only sign he bothered to remember in sign language. Mabel smiled, her eyes twinkling with the Mabel he knew, not the Mabel who sobbed in her room just a couple hours ago. She signed it back, and slipped away.

He sighed, his back slipped down against the booth behind him, crossing his arms over his chest. Outside, the sun was just beginning to set, turning the sky shades of orange, yellow, and red, with pink mixing in. Knowing Mabel, she probably would take a while. So he began sketching on his whiteboard, his eyes glued to it. His hand worked by itself, and he switched hands once in a while to keep his skin from rubbing the sketch away, since he was ambidextrous. The marker squeaked once in a while, but he ignored the sounds, his ears feeling like it was rushing with blood. His eyes drooped, but his hands moved. His mind told him not to continue, but his body told him to keep going. He finished a couple minutes later, his marker dropping to the table with a dull clang, and he blinked at his creation.

Abruptly, someone slammed down a basket in front of him, causing Dipper to jerk up in surprise. "Whoops, sorry. Didn't know you got scared easily," his waitress apologized. Dipper opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. He clamped it shut, and gave his waitress a shrug of the shoulders with a strained smile. His waitress hummed under her breath. "A quiet one, I see. Well, here's your food for you and your sister, I guess. Medium fries with salt and pepper, just as you asked," his waitress told him, walking away with a thumbs up and a, "Call me if you need anything!"

Dipper couldn't answer, opening and closing his mouth like a fish. He didn't order fries. Did he?

He looked down at the basket of fries on the table and squinted. There were only two other people in this diner. But hey, what other sweet revenge was there to eat their food and watch them get frustrated over the wait? He grinned, spinning the basket around like a little kid. Salt and pepper wasn't his taste, but what can a man do? He grabbed a ketchup bottle from the side of the table and squirted some in a corner, almost laughing immaturely at the farting noise it made. He capped it back up, and rubbed his hands like a super-villain. This was totally getting into his head, but he didn't care.

Speak of the Devil and he shall appear.

In front of him, Bill stalked up, completely oblivious to Dipper right behind him. Dipper froze, watching the guy stalk up to the counter full of napkins and straws. The blond boy took two straws, making a frustrated noise when he realized they were wrapped. He pounded one on the table to get the wrapper out, but instead, the straw bent on the marble counter top. Bill groaned and pounded on the counter top harder, causing the straw to get more and more bent. Dipper's lips quirked up.

Deciding that he would much rather eat fries than watch his ex get frustrated over straws, Dipper looked back down at the fries. He swore he saw a sparkle to it, like a glittery effect to the toppings of the fries, but brushed it off as the salt and pepper coating it. He took a hot fry out, almost hissing, but let it cool down in his fingers. He brought it up to his lips, then-

Someone slammed his wrist on the table, causing pain to bloom in his hand. He cried out hoarsely, and Mabel took up the basket of fries in her hands with a fire in her eyes that Dipper hadn't seen in her before. The fry he dropped stayed lonely on the table, and he looked at it in confusion, flicking his eyes up to his sister. But his twin was no longer looking at him, as she was stalking over to the lone girl in the corner table with a feline's grace.

Mabel slammed the basket on the table hidden in a corner, and Pacifica's eyes snapped up to her in alarm. Dipper leaned out of his booth to watch, his eyes wide with fear and panic. What was she _doing?_

" _You,_ " Mabel snarled, the whole diner going quiet. Sure, they were the only ones there, but Dipper could've sworn the cook turned off the fryer.

"M- Mabel!" Pacifica squeaked out in surprise, her eyes wider than Dipper's.

"Care to explain these fries to me, _Paz_?" Mabel snapped, her pet name for her ex no longer sounding kind on her tongue, causing Dipper to wince. Pacifica flinched as well, swallowing visibly.

"Those are...fries?" Pacifica answered meekly, not knowing exactly what Mabel wanted from her. In her defense, Dipper didn't know either.

"The glitter at the top. Does that look familiar to you?" Mabel whispered, so lowly that Dipper had to strain his ears to hear. Pacifica's eyes narrowed at the fries, and her face blanched. Pacifica looked up at Dipper's sister with panicked eyes, and she began to stutter.

"Mabel, that wasn't me, I swear to God, I wouldn't-" Pacifica stammered.

" _Bill,_ " Mabel seethed, cutting her off entirely, "-is right in front of my brother. Who would he see first?"

Pacifica pursed her lips, looking over Mabel's shoulder, her face becoming even whiter by the second, if that was possible. Curiously, and feeling someone watching him from behind, Dipper turned his head. Bill was watching him with slightly parted lips, two wrecked straws in his hands, limp. His eyes were a reflection of confusion.

"Mabel, we didn't-" Pacifica whispered. Mabel cut her off with a laugh, humorless and bitter.

"Oh, now it's 'we'? You're the only two left in this diner, Paz. Who else would've done it? And it doesn't fucking help that the two of you have done nothing but hurt me and my brother for the past two days. What are you guys even doing here, talking about new make-out sessions?"

Pacifica flinched, looking over Mabel's shoulder for help. Bill, as if sensing that he should step in, walked forward, his two straws abandoned, falling to the floor like paper. "Shooting Star, she means it, we would never- _I_ would never-" Bill began, putting a hand over Mabel's shoulder. Dipper's shoulders tensed, and he felt anger bubble in his chest.

" _Don't touch me!_ " Mabel snarled, pushing Bill away. Bill's eyes flashed with surprise and hurt, before changing into the cold nonchalance Dipper was so used to. "Did you think it was funny, coming in here together and smiling together like you two didn't just use two hearts? What, did I mean _nothing_ to you, Paz? And you," Mabel began, whirling around to look at Bill. Bill stepped back on instinct, his fists balling together. "What was Dipper to you this whole time? A pawn in your game? Did he mean nothing to you but a servant?" Mabel whispered. Maybe it was Dipper's eyes playing tricks on him, but he could of sworn he saw Bill flinch away.

"Shooting Star, just listen to me for one minute," Bill said in exasperation, "I had nothing to do with that love potion. Heck, I don't even think I'm physically capable of-"

"Are you seriously forgetting who you are right now, Cipher?" Mabel snapped. Bill narrowed his eyes, and they flashed a deep red.

"Listen, I'm here with this blonde bimbo because we had to talk about what happened. We both regret it, alright? I would give a limb and both eyes to stop that from happening, and I don't even get why it even _happened._ So we had to talk it out," Bill explained as best as he could. _Bullshit,_ Dipper wanted to snarl. But thankfully, Mabel was thinking the same thing.

"That's bull, and you know it," Mabel growled. And before Bill could speak again, Mabel began to rant.

"Are you two seriously going to pretend that whatever happened was an _accident?_ I'm pretty sure you can't pull down each others' pants and kiss for God knows how long on accident. And what's worst, you two knew _exactly_ that the other was dating someone, and that you, yourselves, were dating someone. Don't act like it happened on accident, because it wasn't! What the real accident here was me hooking up with you-" Mabel pointed at Pacifica, making her crumble away from her intense gaze, "-and that you-" Mabel pointed at Bill, who stood his ground and glared at her, "-went with him!" She pointed at Dipper behind her with a jab of a thumb. "Honestly, you two are acting like grown babies!" Mabel huffed. Then she stomped her foot childishly, crossing her arms over her chest.

And because he couldn't help it and because he just wanted a reason to in this hellhole, he smiled. Smiled when he saw his sister's childishness come back, despite the situation presented in front of them. He realized that he needed his sister's immatureness to be balanced out, and without it, he'd be that one guy on campus always up to his neck in homework with a cup of coffee always in hand.

Then, like he was zapped in the face, Dipper's face fell. He hit himself mentally for smiling, and cursed in his head. Why, why did he smile now, of all times? When the two fucking cheaters were right in front of him? The last thing he could imagine was to _smile_ in front of them. And he did. He was so, so stupid.

"Shooting Star," Bill whispered, his voice almost soothing, "we talked it out, and I think we found the problem. Whatever was in our cups made us not only drunk, but _controlled._ Directly or indirectly, I don't know. But both of us have no direct memory of making out or going...to that bedroom. All we remember was Dipper interrupting, and-"

"Controlled? Are you fucking around with me right now?" Mabel snarled. Her eyes flashed with red-hot anger. "I can get it if it was Pacifica, but _you?_ Are you kidding? You're literally impossible to possess, and you know it!"

Bill cringed, scowling at the ground. "I know, I know. But even _I_ can be weakened for moments at times. Whatever was in that drink, it made me weak. And it clearly caused blondie here to be weak as well," Bill said dryly, nodding his head to Pacifica.

"Who the hell would do that then, huh? And who else would poison these fries with a love potion?" Mabel shot back.

" _I don't know_ ," Bill answered with a stony look, like physically admitting it was hurting himself. "Look, I don't care if you call me a cheater or a scumbag, but it's not going to change the fact that I-!" And suddenly, Bill's stony face melted into a look of horror.

"What flavor did you say these fries were?" Bill whispered.

"Salt and pepper, why?" Mabel answered dryly. Bill and Pacifica exchanged looks of surprise and utter horror.

"Those were meant for us," Pacifica said.

Dipper's breath hitched in his throat, and he braced his arm on the back of the booth to get up and help Mabel up. But something caught his eye, and Dipper turned around to his window. A cold feeling came down his neck, and he distinctly heard an argument break out between the three. But the blood rushed in his ears and he had a feeling that he was being watched. And not in a good way.

A man, his features worn out by the setting sun, watched him through the window, before disappearing with a blink of an eye.

And though his heart told him not to, and his brain shouted at him to sit back down, he got up and followed the strange man. It was an impulse he couldn't control, probably from years of curiosity revolving around monsters, and it was an impulse he knew he would get killed for one day.

The man's shadow tailed behind the back of the diner, and Dipper followed, almost shouting at the man before realizing that he physically couldn't. The man seemed to jump around in the shadows, being here and there at the same time, but Dipper had years of experience tracking down monsters. And this was a human, a human who couldn't hurt him. But he was still curious. He had a feeling that the man was the one who 'poisoned' his fries, and he wanted to know why.

He changed him down between streets and back-alleys, behind shops and houses. It tired him out but curiosity and determination kept him going. His legs felt like lead, his ankle was screeching in pain, he limped badly, and his mind screamed at him the whole time, until it was to the point that Dipper almost turned back out of frustration.

He only stopped walking when he got to dead end, staring at a tall fence in the face. The sun officially set, and he could barely see, thanks to the combined darkness and his bad eye-sight. The only light he got was from the street lamps beyond the fence. And the fence was not climbable, the top even covered in barbed wires. Dipper let out a hoarse groan of frustration, and he rubbed his throat on impulse. He should've known the man was a lost cause.

With a blink of one eye, Dipper was slammed against the dirty brick wall behind him, his back and sore shoulder screaming out in pain.

The same man knelt in front of him, his hands curled in Dipper's collar as he grinned wickedly at Dipper. And, looking at the man's face, Dipper knew instantly that something was wrong with the man's head. It was like one side of his face was grinning, and the other side looked down at him in pain.

"The voices in my head told me to come over and have a word with you," the man breathed in a strangled voice.


	23. Silence Is Just Another Word for Pain

_"I will not just lay down and take this, not again, not again_  
_Oh, you have left my heart, black and blue_  
_Just like your father did to you_  
_How does it feel, knowing you're barely alive?_  
_See through bloodshot eyes, you're left empty inside_  
_Where I was, strung out and drug through the mud_  
_I must agree, you're just like me_  
_And when you die, I won't be at your wake_  
_No eulogy from me, just a smile on my face_  
_And while God might be busy with judging your soul_  
_I will have slept with the girl that you loved most."_

**[Caught Like A Fly | Falling In Reverse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRxRAW1Fpbo) **

* * *

Dipper knew the moment he looked into the man's eyes that he was going to die.

Or, at least, come out alive with a limb missing from its socket.

He closed his one working eye as another punch was directed to his chin, causing his face to collide with the wall behind him, shooting nerves and stars to appear in his vision. His chin felt numb to the touch, but he was too scared to reach over and feel for damage.

He grimaced as the man lifted his fist once more, closing his eyes for impact. His mind yelled at him to fight, to get up like a man and punch back. But the fight in him was long gone, the fire extinguished by a single drop of water. And, for a brief moment, Dipper wondered if he deserved this, for being so stupid and lovestruck for a boy he just met.

To his surprise, the blow never landed, and for a tense moment, waiting for a false uppercut to hit him right in the jaw, Dipper cracked open his eye, his eye twitching like it was trying to force itself close again. The crazed man was looking down at him with a desperate look, so different from the crazy look he saw on the man not too long ago. The man suddenly toppled backwards, his facial features changing into a look of disgust, then worry, then anger.

 _"Stop fighting it, you fool!"_ the man whispered harshly to no one in particular. Dipper flinched at his tone.

"I- I'm not, I just- I saw him- then I-" the man whimpered, his eyes gleaming with tears. And with a squint, a cold douse of recognition made Dipper inhale sharply. It was Tad. Tad Strange, the most normal man in town.

 _"We made a deal! Do you dare to break it?"_ Tad hissed, his eyes filling with malice. Then the look of anger changed into a look of a trembling child.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please, hurt anyone else! D- Dipper Pines saved me once, I- I can't-" Tad sobbed. Tad suddenly got a cold look in his eyes, and his body froze up. His face became stony as his stilled right hand reached over for his left shoulder and squeezed so hard that Dipper could hear a sickening _crunch_ and a sound that sounded a lot like a muscle snapping. Tad howled in pain.

Dipper's knees came up to his chest in defense, as if that would help him from the questioning horror in front of him. Tad kept crying, and Dipper knew that this was a good time to escape, to run away from this and forget it never happened. He felt his left leg twitch in anticipation, ready to spring up from the flight or fight reaction. But he sat still, breathing in painfully. Each breath counted down to his closer doom, and despite his brain yelling the hell out of him to run back to the diner and grab Mabel and go, he couldn't move. It was wrong, _so_ wrong to leave Tad like this. It was clear the man wasn't himself, and was in need of help. But Dipper felt defenseless. He didn't know what to do.

Too late to decide anyway. A moment passed, and Tad's crying subsided, like the crazed person in him shut him up. And, considering the things Dipper has seen, it was probably true. Then, Tad began to laugh. Laughter filled the empty back-alley, the laugh filled with so much joy and amusement. It reminded Dipper of someone else's laugh, but he couldn't figure it out now, not with his mind shutting down from the sudden panic he was getting. His heart thumped crazily in his chest, and he kept hearing his doctor's voice in his head, telling him to get out in any stressful situations as best as he can. Just his luck, to follow a crazed maniac into a back-alley and hear the maniac laugh like he was watching a comedy.

The laugh subsided, becoming softer and softer with each breath Dipper exhaled and inhaled. The laugh became softer, and softer, and softer, until Dipper could only hear his breathing and pounding heart in his ears. "What have you done, little one?" Tad breathed, getting up from his spot on the floor. His voice was unnatural, not the same odd, but normal person Dipper usually saw around town over the years. Dipper's heart pounded harder, and his arms seized up in panic.

Tad got closer to him, and with it, his facial features. Dipper could see the coldness in his eyes, the unnatural look of peace. The white in his hair became much more visible, despite Tad being a middle-aged man with his life still to live. Dipper suddenly remembered a syndrome from the top of his head; Marie Antoinette syndrome, the sudden whitening of hair. He gulped, having a feeling that the syndrome can very much happen to him right now if this kept going.

 _Tad, what happened to you?_ Dipper wanted to beg. But of course, because of his damn vocal cords, he couldn't speak. Tad Strange got closer, until he was only a few feet away from the shivering, panicked boy. He crouched down to Dipper's level, and Dipper's eyes turned into pinpricks. His hands shook uncontrollably, and he couldn't understand why he was feeling so scared and panicked. Tad wouldn't hurt him. Right?

Right. But Tad wasn't himself right now.

And to prove his point, Tad grabbed hold onto his collar and collided his face with his fist, making Dipper cry out hoarsely. Dipper's hand flew to his bleeding nose, and drops of blood fell to the dirty pavement. "The blood, " Tad laughed, looking down at the pooling red between Dipper's knees. "I require some, of course. But not at the moment," Tad said again, bending down and taking a swipe of his blood with a finger. He put his finger to his mouth and licked it clean, much to Dipper's disgust.

"Horrible. Human blood always tastes like trash," Tad said in disgust, wiping his finger on his dress shirt. _I didn't ask you to taste it anyway,_ Dipper wanted to spat. But the best he could do was actually spit on the ground, leaving a wad of saliva on the pavement in front of Tad.

Tad stood up, looking down at Dipper with a look of disgust. In a second, Dipper's face was smashed against the floor, his nose cracking once more under the pressure. Dipper didn't even have time to cry out. Tad pressed his foot on Dipper's temple, pressing harder. Dipper's head was pounding with the pressure, but he still had the decency to not scream. But it was getting really, really hard not to yell out. Mabel was still in the diner, right? How far was it from here?

"Where is the wheel?" Tad snarled, bending down to Dipper's smashed face. _Wheel?_ Dipper echoed in his mind. His brow furrowed in confusion, and Tad pressed down on his face harder. _"Answer me!"_ he screamed. _I don't know!_ Dipper wanted to yell back.

Realizing that Dipper wasn't going to answer, Tad took his foot away from Dipper's face, letting Dipper breath for a good two seconds before he lifted him up with the back of his collar. Tad took one of his arms, the arm with the sore shoulder, and bent it back painfully, causing a cracking sound to sound across the area. Dipper gritted his teeth, feeling tears spring into his eyes. Tad let go of his arm a second later, letting him fall to the floor pathetically. "Fool," Tad spat, literally spitting on Dipper's face. Dipper wiped it away with a shaky hand, then held onto his broken arm with his good one.

Tad wasn't finished with him. Oh, he was a fool if he ever thought it was done.

Tad sighed when Dipper still kept quiet, not getting the idea that he was literally mute. He cracked his knuckles, each crack making Dipper cringe away. "Last chance to answer, Virgo," Tad purred. The brunet didn't answer, keeping his head down as he massaged his sore elbow. Then, after a hesitating moment, Dipper looked up, and gave Tad a bitter smile.

The man didn't like his humor. He stalked forward and slammed Dipper's head against the brick wall. And slammed it again. And again. And _again._

Dipper's left temple was numb and tender at the same time, and he barely had time to breath in between hits. He blacked out at one point, his vision becoming completely blinded by the constant hits to his head. But for some reason, it was like Tad knew what he was doing. Every time Dipper was close to passing out, Tad switched positions to hit his head on, and that just made it a hundred times worst. _"Where-"_ Tad hissed, hitting his head once more. Dipper could've sworn he heard a crack, but he couldn't be sure. He was freely crying from the pain, but he didn't care. He just wanted it to be over. _"-is the wheel?"_

 _I don't know, I don't know, I DON'T KNOW!_ Dipper wanted to moan, feeling sticky blood coat his left temple. It was tender right below his eyebrow, and he was scared to look in the mirror in the morning. If he could even survive this.

Tad got bored of hitting his head on the wall, slamming his head against the brick one last time. He kept Dipper's head there, and Dipper's breathing became laboured. He wanted to sob, to cry out to anyone, _anyone at all,_ to help him out of this hell. But no one was there to hear him.

The man suddenly yanked on the brunet's hair, forcing his neck back and tears to well up. "Not going to answer, I see. Maybe some discipline will teach you a lesson to listen to me, Virgo," Tad growled. In a moment, Dipper was in a choke hold, Tad's arm around his neck tightly. Dipper tried to breathe in, to get some oxygen into his lungs, but it wasn't helping. Tad's hold was too tight to let air through.

He gasped, his throat itching and feeling pressured by the hold. Tad held on tighter, laughing at Dipper's discomfort. Dipper's vision blackened in and out, the corners of his vision completely black from the lack of oxygen. He scratched at Tad's arms in an attempt to get out, but Tad was too strong, nor did he seem to care the little scratches Dipper was putting all over his arm. "You struggle harder, the more fun this gets for me!" Tad laughed, his hold still on Dipper. Dipper was tipping in between consciousness now, and his legs kicked at the air in defense.

Almost as if Tad got bored of strangling him, he let go of the choking boy.

But then the man quickly pulled him down to the pavement, jabbing a thumb into Dipper's gauze-covered eye.

Dipper screamed, his hands flying over his eye in pain. He tried to wrench Tad's arm away from his eye socket, but the black-haired man wouldn't let go. His face felt like it was being pressured down, his eye socket screaming out in pain. It was like having something fall onto your face, but deeper into that. Tiny pinpricks covered by the feeling of nausea hammering down to his face- it was painful, one of the worst pains Dipper had ever felt in his life.

And suddenly, the arm was quickly pulled away, and Tad stood up, looking down at Dipper with a desperate look in his face. "Oh, Mr. Pines! I'm so sorry, please forgive me, something- something made a deal with me and-" Tad sobbed. His face of horror changed into a look of pure disgust.

"Shut it, you useless mortal! I am your master, and you _will_ obey to what I say!" Tad screeched, one hand flying over to the left side of his face.

"I- I can't! You told me you only needed me to pour in that love potion, not- not this!" Tad cried out, his face changing from disgust to fear and panic. It was almost comical, if not for the situation at hand.

"I would've gotten that stupid Love God to do it instead, but he dropped out of the deal as soon as I tampered with the drinks at that stupid party!" Tad hissed again. Dipper's face whitened as the words sank in.

"You- you're going to kill me too!" Tad suddenly screamed, his voice high-pitched in fear.

"Calm yourself, mortal. I didn't kill that stupid diapered baby, I subdued him for now," Tad hissed, his voice different. Dipper's mouth opened in a shape of an 'o' and watched the scene unfold. He barely had the strength to stand up, and he sat there with his back against the brick wall, just like before. His face was still numb from the beating he took, but it was slowly registering the pain, and he knew that if he survived this, he was going to wake up with a major headache and pinpricks of pain.

"Get me the location of the wheel from the boy and I'll set you free," Tad hissed once more. Tad then whimpered, his eyes still wide and crazed, so different from the smiling, normal man he saw around the sidewalks of Gravity Falls.

"Dipper Pines," Tad begged, "where is the wheel? Please, just tell us, and this will be over."

Dipper looked up at Tad, his face full of confusion and pleading. He shook his head sadly, trying to force him to understand that he didn't know what 'they' were talking about, and that he physically could not speak. " _Please_!" Tad begged, his hands shaking. His broken arm was limp by his side, and Dipper wondered how he was able to hit him so hard like that without crying out in pain. "He's going to kill the both of us!" Tad screamed. Dipper shook his head even faster, opening and closing his mouth in desperation. He rubbed his throat, his chest filling with panic and fear.

And, before Tad Strange could say anything more to beg Dipper, Tad's face of fear turned into a cold nonchalance that almost made Dipper whimper. It reminded him of the blond boy so, so much. It made him wonder if, when they were close enough, that the boy would turn out like this, abusing him with no one around and no scars to prove it. It made his heart tighten and squeeze, and suddenly, he wasn't looking at Tad Strange, but Bill Cipher.

The man took out a pocket knife from his back pocket, and Dipper's heart pounded wildly in his chest. He was only eighteen. How come after fighting monsters and looking at several different kinds of species that can very well kill him, he was going to die at the hands of the most normal man in town?

Tad crouched in front of him, jerking his chin up to look into the eyes of a broken man. "Last chance, Virgo," Tad snarled. And because Dipper wanted to die with a last hurrah, he smiled the biggest smile he had ever worn in the last few days, and shrugged his shoulders.

Almost immediately, Tad slashed his face with the knife, drawing blood and leaving a scar from his right cheek to the bottom of his nose. It was painful, but not painful enough to make Dipper think this was over.

Tad laughed and lifted the pocket knife, gripping it tightly with one hand. Dipper saw him shake, like he was trying so hard to stop it. And he realized that the knife was going to plunge into his heart if this continued. Dipper's breath hitched, but he forced himself to show no fear. He had no fear of dying, he never had. If this was how he was going to die, then so be it.

_"Don't you fucking touch him!"_

Dipper didn't have the courage to look up, to turn his head around just slightly to witness what was happening. He didn't believe this was happening, it _couldn't be._ This was the perfect way to die, but someone decided to swoop in and take that away even from him.

Tad didn't even have time to react as he was pulled in by the collar and pushed against the brick wall beside Dipper. Dipper had the decency to move, to crawl away just even a little bit. He panted in pain when he army-crawled away with his broken arm and aching shoulder, and turned back to look at what was happening. His vision turned black around the edges, and he was suddenly aware of the dry blood on his upper lip.

Bill had Tad pressed against the wall with both hands wrapped around the middle-aged man's neck, his eyes lit up with a fire he had never seen before. It could even compete with Mabel's. But it wasn't just his inferno red eyes that scared him- it was the look on his face that made Dipper's heart stop cold in his chest. They were filled with hostility and repugnance, twisted in a way that even though the blond boy wasn't looking at him, Dipper withered away. He knew that without a doubt, that Bill could, and will, kill a man right now in the state he was in.

"Oh, Bill! So nice to see you again! Remember when you turned me to stone for your throne?" Tad asked cheerily, sounding exactly like the Tad that Dipper would have one-sided conversations with on the street out of boredom. He talked so casually and didn't sound like he was being choked. It confused Dipper, but that didn't stop Bill from snarling like a wolf ready to eat.

 _"What have you done to my Pine Tree?"_ Bill roared, his voice so malicious but dangerously calm at the same time. Dipper fought back a shiver. 

"Oh, me? I don't know, maybe hit his head against the brick wall a few times for a warm up? Oh, oh! I even broke his arm for not answering me! I even-" Tad piped up.

Bill abandoned choking him and instead, grabbed his hair and smashed his face to the ground, so powerfully that the Hulk would even be impressed. Dipper almost half expected to find a man-shaped crater on the pavement. "You lay another finger on him again, Strange, and I swear to everything I've done for this useless dimension that I will fucking make sure you don't get to a hospital in time to help you with your missing limbs and balls," Bill snarled, holding Tad's head down with a hand.

Tad laughed, almost in amusement. But Dipper heard the bitterness and fear behind it, and brought his knees up to his chest in useless self defense. Never, _ever_ has he seen this flirtatious, calm blond boy lose his mind this easily.

"Then tear my limbs apart, Cipher. Do it. Or is part of your soul being replaced with his making you soft?" Tad mocked, his eyes glancing up at Bill. Bill's face of malice and anger was replaced with a merciless look, cold and distant, a look that shouldn't, _couldn't_ , belong to a young man who used to laugh at perverted jokes and joke around.

"Don't push me to my limit, Strange," Bill said through gritted teeth, his voice tight and strained. When Dipper looked closer in the near darkness, with only the closest lamp to provide light over the two boys, he saw that Bill's arms were shaking. Not from fear, like Tad, but from contained anger and a lash that was going to come out at any second.

Tad tutted, and Dipper was suddenly helpless to the situation that was about to happen. He wished he could talk, but he couldn't. Even if he _could_ speak, he probably wouldn't be able to in this situation. His mouth was dry, and it felt as if it was trapped shut, never to be open again. His lips were cracked, and the dry blood tickled his upper lip. He felt too frozen to the spot to wipe the blood off.

"Do you even know what I did to him?" Tad asked in amusement. Bill's arms shook even more, and his jaw was ticking. His eyes were flicking around, anywhere but at Dipper or Tad. Dipper could tell that there was a fight going on his head, between wanting to know what, exactly, happened to him, and not knowing what happened just so his anger was kept in check. "Oh, I did _so_ many things to him, Billy. For once, I pressed a thumb to his empty eyeball and watched him scream for god knows how long. Oh, oh, and _before_ that, I choked him! He was crying, too! Such a wimp, am I right, Billy? Oh, then after he wouldn't answer me, I pulled out this pocket knife I got from my house and I was _just_ about to stab-"

It happened so quickly that Dipper barely had any time to blink to process what happened.

Bill got Tad in a choke hold, and it seemed as if he was going to choke him, but it was so much worst than that. He placed a firm hand on Tad's broken shoulder, already knowing that half the job was done for him. He gripped it tightly, then pulled, and Dipper couldn't look away as skin, bone, and muscle was ripped apart from the socket, Tad's muffled scream filled the air. Bill didn't even blink.

Dipper watched in horror as the bone popped apart, leaving a full arm in Bill's hand. He tossed it away in disgust, like he was throwing away a piece of gum. The arm skidded away, leaving blood to stain the ground. Tad's eyes were wide with fear and he was stuttering and slurring as he spoke. "I- I wasn't myself! I- I made a d- deal and I swear to you, I wasn't trying to hurt him, I- I w- was-" Tad stammered.

Bill didn't have time to listen to his explanation, rolling his eyes. He reached over and latched a hand inside Tad's jaw, making Tad choke in confusion. Bill reached in deeper, to the point where Tad was thrashing his legs. Then there was an audible crack of bones as Tad's jaw was dislocated, and Tad's jaw hung limp when Bill slipped his hand out and wiped it on his pants.

Dipper was utterly horrified, and he couldn't move. His mind ran with a million thoughts, with every single one having the same topic; _Bill could kill him right now, and he wouldn't even blink.  
_

Bill forced the man up to his feet shakily, the man's eyes still wide with shock, and Dipper could tell that that the shock was affecting his body to the point where he was swaying without knowing it. "There is a hospital eight blocks from this back-alley," Bill hissed, "go, before I change my mind and kill you right now. I broke your jaw so you can't speak about this to anyone. As soon as it heals, you don't tell anyone, you hear me? And if I see you near my Pine Tree ever again, you won't just be leaving with a missing limb."

With a shaky nod, Tad limped away, crashing into ten different trash cans before turning the corner.

It was silent all of a sudden, with no sound but Dipper's ragged breathing. Dipper wrapped his broken arm over his chest protectively, cradling it with his good arm. He leaned against the nearest trash can, his heart calming down ever so slowly. Bill stood with his back to him, his hands clenched tightly by his side as his shoulders heaved up and down with his breathing. They were quiet, no one speaking to the other like it was a contest to see who would break it first, not that Dipper could physically win, anyway.

"That arm should heal by tomorrow. He only sprained it," Bill whispered softly, his head not turning to look at Dipper. Dipper didn't ask or question how Bill knew it. The guy always seemed to know everything. "And you don't have a huge concussion, thankfully. That kid knows how human anatomy works and I have to give him that. Just try to lay off the works, will ya, Pine Tree?" Bill laughed almost humorlessly, and his head tilted up to the stark sky. Dipper didn't laugh with him, and he wouldn't even do it with a perfectly normal voice. He rubbed his elbow with a grimace, and hung his head.

Finally, _finally_ Bill turned around to look at him. His eyes were full of pain at the sight of Dipper looking so vulnerable, and he walked over, bending down to Dipper's height. "Dipper.  _Dipper_ _._ Look at me," Bill whispered. He used his thumb and forefinger to hold onto his chin, and lifted it up with a lover's gentleness. "Are you okay?" Bill asked softly. Dipper hesitated, then nodded. He wouldn't meet the blond boy's eyes.

Bill frowned, letting go of his chin. "I should've came here sooner. I didn't- I wished I-" Bill began. He made a low, frustrated noise when he stammered, and ran a hand through his hair. " _I'm sorry,_ " he finally said, his voice soft and strained, like it hurt him to say it.

Dipper gulped, dropping his head back down. His bangs came into his eyes, and he only saw Bill's bent knees. "I'll..." Bill began awkwardly. He got up, leaving Dipper on the floor. "I'm going to go."

"Shooting Star's waiting for you back in that diner, kid. I'll see you around town."

And then he was gone, leaving Dipper to sob quietly in a dark alley, his face in his hands with his shoulders shaking softly. He wished he could speak, but his silence spoke his words for him. After all, silence was just another word for pain.


	24. Bottled Feelings and a Baggage of Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, oh my lord. Do you know how hard it was for me to write this chapter, EUGH. It didn't delete once on my drafts, BUT TWICE. TWICE, GUYS. Sorry if it seemed rushed, I was just a little pissed off writing this lol.

_"'Cause I don't wanna lose you now_  
_I'm lookin' right at the other half of me_  
_The vacancy that sat in my heart is a space that now you hold_  
_Show me how to fight for now_  
_And I'll tell you, baby, it was easy_  
_Comin' back here to you once I figured it out_  
_You were right here all along_  
_It's like you're my mirror, my mirror staring back at me_  
_I couldn't get any bigger with anyone else beside of me_  
_And now it's clear as this promise_  
_That we're making two reflections into one."_

**[Mirrors | Justin Timberlake](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH2tp72T13o) **

* * *

Dipper didn't think he'd start off his morning with hitting his sister on the head repeatedly with a dictionary.

It sounded better in his head than actually admitting it to himself.

"Dip- will you- quit it!" Mabel moaned, waving his hands away from the top of her head, her knitting tools resting on her lap. Dipper hit her head again, and Mabel turned around and tried to wrench the dictionary away. But Dipper was too quick, and he pulled it away from her reach, grinning all the while.

"What is _wrong_ with you today?" Mabel asked in disbelief, going back to her knitting, but making sure her shoulders were hunched and tense in anticipation in case he decided to hit her head again.

 _You said you'd spend time with me!_ Dipper wanted to complain. But thanks to his disruption, he couldn't speak. So he just hit her again. Mabel sighed in teasing irritation and set down her knitting tools on the coffee table in front of her. She leaned back on the sofa chair and looked up at her brother with a pout. "Jesus Christ, I get it, I'm stupid, I don't need to be hit with a dictionary," Mabel laughed. _You're not stupid, you're just weird,_ Dipper wanted to tease, hitting her head once more.

"Ah yes, because you have the smarts and the seriousness and I have the stupidity and the joking-ness. We are the yin and yang, the beautiful and the ugly. With you being the ugly, of course," Mabel retorted, as if she heard his thoughts. She might as well have. Dipper's grin stayed, and he lifted up the giant book over his head. Mabel screeched in surprise and got up, dancing away from his grasp. "Dipper, what in the actual fuck is wrong with you today?!" Mabel laughed, ducking from his weapon of choice. Dipper's shoulders shook in a silent laughter, like what a mime would do.

"You're acting like me, and on your terms, _that is definitely not a good thing_!" Mabel squealed, almost being hit on the shoulder. Dipper gave up, tossing the dictionary away with his good arm with a pout on the lips. "Aw, Dip, it's okay, you can be a sore loser once in a while," Mabel soothed. Dipper rolled his eyes at her, turning his hips around and grabbing a pillow, tossing it to her face. Mabel batted the pillow away to the floor with a plop, a grin playing on her lips.

"Okay, okay! What do you want?" Mabel giggled, giving in.

Dipper simply tilted his head to the side, raising an eyebrow. Mabel gave him an unimpressed look. "Yeah, yeah, I said we'd do our twin bonding time early today. But let me finish this sweater first, at least," Mabel said nonchalantly, walking back to her spot on the sofa. She plopped back down and immediately grabbed her knitting tools, knitting back the half-finished sweater with her tongue stuck out to the side. It was a pink sweater with purple writing, though it was hard to read when it was only halfway done and with it being upside down while she worked. Dipper sat across from her grumpily, crossing his arms over his chest. His hair came into his face, and he touched his forehead subconsciously, forgetting for a brief moment that his hat was gone.

 _What are you making?_ his eyes said to his sister, peering down at the sweater behind his glasses in curiosity.

"A sweater," Mabel answered happily, lifting the sweater so he could see it, "that says 'Fuck you, Paz'."

Dipper snorted, his back slowly sliding against the leather of the sofa. _Didn't you gave her a sweater that said, 'Fuck me, Paz' two years ago?_ Dipper questioned silently, already knowing that his sister knew the question without speaking it. "Exactly!" she chirped, her hands knitting the section faster, like it was giving her fuel to make a revenge sweater. They sat in silence for a few minutes, with the only sounds being their giant grandfather clock ticking the time away and the clicking of Mabel's knitting tools. Dipper grabbed a random book on the coffee table and read it, his eyes drooping slightly from the boring context. Mabel hummed, 'You Are My Sunshine' under her breath, and Dipper's foot tapped to the sound of her voice. Though he would never admit it, Mabel actually had a good voice. There was no need to fuel her ego more than it should.

"It's so quiet in here," Mabel commented, suddenly cutting off her singing. Dipper was a little disappointed, but he didn't let it show. He looked up at her from his boring book, giving her a look that said, _I can't talk, you dummy._ Mabel giggled, her eyes back to her sweater. It always surprised him how quickly she finished knitting her sweaters. She'd be a good grandmother one day, no doubt about it.

The idea of Mabel in a rocking chair and knitting sweaters for her grandchildren while Dipper shouted words old men would say beside her popped into his mind, and he suppressed a smile. Grantie Mabel and Grunkle Dipper. No doubt they'd still be fighting over who gets to eat the mac n' cheese first for dinner in their late 70's.

 _What do you suggest we do, oh Great One?_ Dipper thought dryly, giving his sister a look of disinterest. She shrugged casually. "It's been a whole day since what happened in the diner. You never told me what happened, exactly," she said meekly, like Dipper was going to snap at her. But he casually rubbed his left temple with a good arm, grimacing to himself. _And you never told me what happened after I left, either,_ Dipper thought, looking at his sister with pursed lips. "Since you clearly can't talk as of yet, I shall tell you my half of the story," Mabel said, still knitting her revenge sweater. Dipper flashed her the thumbs up.

"Okay, okay, sit down for this bombass story, child!" Mabel sang out. Then she stopped knitting for a second to think. "Technically, you're already sitting down and it's not that bombass, I kind of just acted like a bitch, and you're not a child anym- moving on."

She cleared her throat, and began her story like she was going to inform Dipper the ways of not being awkward, something he clearly needed advice on. "Well, after you left, Bill tried calming me down several times but seriously, I think I was a _little_ too blinded by anger back there. Pacifica was quiet the whole time, and I didn't realize you left until Bill suddenly stopped talking and his eyes kind of just...turned blank. He didn't even look at me or Pacifica, he just got up and left. Then, I directed my anger at her, and..."

Her voice caught in her throat, and Dipper looked up at her in alarm. Her face became stony and blank, and she looked down at her shaking hands. She was no longer holding onto the knitting needles, leaving them on her lap as she kept her palms faced up, her fingers twitching so badly that Dipper frowned. And with a start, he realized that her fingernails were completely trimmed, but the tips of her fingers were red, like they were stained forever. He thought back to yesterday, when he finally had the courage in him to stand up and go to the diner. He bumped into Pacifica, who had her face downwards with a hand to her left cheek. She barely looked at him, and when he found Mabel, she had her hands tucked into her jacket pockets, her face so bare of emotions that it chilled him to the bone for a moment. They went home, and didn't speak for the whole night. When they woke up this morning, it was like everything was reset, both of them acting like they just didn't confront their exes and one of them now had a throbbing head and a slash across the cheek.

He connected the dots in his head, and bit down on his bottom lip painfully. "I scratched her face," Mabel stated, laughing under her breath bitterly. "She- she said something that made me mad, and I- and I reached over and racked her face with my nails. The blood stayed in my nails until I washed it off in the bathroom," she said again, her voice shaky. She laughed again, and Dipper frowned deeper. "I don't regret it, Dipper. Not even a little bit."

Dipper's eyelids half-closed, and he leaned back against the couch once more, thinking for a while. He didn't blame his sister for doing that. She deserved every single scar she left, maybe even more. Was it bad that he thought that?

He got up from his spot, leaving Mabel there to look up at him in confusion. He went over to the counter with his whiteboard and took it, grabbing a marker from the same counter. He scribbled something down, and capped the pen. He made his way back to his seat on the sofa and gently plopped the whiteboard down on Mabel's lap. She read it with a curious look. _We can go to that new museum that opened up yesterday. I'm curious._

"Sir Dipping Sauce, the biggest nerd in town," Mabel laughed, putting the whiteboard on the coffee table.

He hit her with the dictionary.

* * *

"Ta da! This is totally going to blow someone's mind!" Mabel giggled, standing up from her crouch on the floor. She put her hands on her hips, a marker hanging from the side of her mouth like a cigarette. Dipper peered over from her shoulder, and saw her loopy handwriting written on the side of a rock. It said, 'I hope you're having a great day!' plus a heart beside it. Dipper gave his sister a look.

"What?" Mabel complained, grabbing the marker out of her mouth and stuffing it into her back pocket. Dipper shook his head with a low grunt, stuffing his hands back into his pockets as he looked up. Right above them was a t-rex skeleton, towering over like what a dinosaur should do. Underneath it was the rock showcasing facts about the tyrannosaurus, but Mabel's marker vandalized it. The corner of Dipper's lips twitched. _Thank God no one's here. I'm leaving her here if she gets caught,_ Dipper thought.

Mabel grinned as she skipped over to a floating pterodactyl, looking up in awe. A screech echoed through the room, making Dipper cringe but making Mabel laugh. Those screeches were probably activated and set for the little kids, to make them laugh. But in all honesty, it was just a way to make adults cringe and massage their temples in an attempt to spell out a headache.

"Dip, look at this! This looks like the thing we fought!" Mabel called out, waving her brother over. Dipper shuffled over, craning his head upwards. It was just the same old pterodactyl. What's so special about it? He frowned in confusion. "Oh! Right, ha, forgot," Mabel grinned, playing with the marker around one finger. She pointed up at the screeching pterodactyl, like how a teacher would point at an equation. "Grunkle Stan punched that thing once. To save Waddles," she explained, her voice catching at her old pet pig's name. Then she slowly lifted her arm down, and her smile faded. Dipper glanced sideways at his sister in worry.

His eyes already said what he wanted to say without speaking it. "Aw, Dip," Mabel whispered, "I can't. I just can't. I have to go. Mom and Dad are already expecting me."

Dipper gulped down the lump in his throat, and nodded solemnly. They can't spend their last week together sulking about her leaving. They had to make the best of it, as Mabel would put it. Besides, she would come back for the last week of summer in time for their nineteenth birthday. He'll be fine. Perfectly, utterly fine.

No. He was lying to himself. He was going to collapse.

Dipper opened his mouth to speak and immediately clamped it shut, clearing his throat painfully. He pulled his left hand out of his jacket pockets and rubbed his throat with a fist. Mabel tilted her head at him, waiting for him to use a signal. He waved a hand behind them, to the next exhibit. Egyptian mummies, perhaps. "Already? Well, I mean, we just got here two minutes ago," Mabel told him, tilting her head in further confusion. It made him laugh a little. _Okay, fine,_ he told her through his expression. She whooped, grabbing his good arm and dragging him through some more extinct animals that will never be revived without complications or historical accuracy anyway.

"Oooh! Look at this one! It looks cute and scary at the same time, like all my past relationships!" Mabel commented, pointing at a very, very long-necked creature hung up by string. Dipper wanted to tell her it was a thalassomedon, but knew that she probably wouldn't care or forget the name by tomorrow anyway. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked over to the next creature. Another sea creature was present, and Mabel skipped over, forcing him to sprint over in surprise. His neck hairs stood up when a low sounding call sounded through the exhibit, like a high-pitched whale call. He was suddenly glad that he decided to bring a jacket. It was freezing in here.

One after another they went, seeing a giant looking shark here, seeing a tiny two-legged dinosaur there. Dipper yawned through the whole thing. If he was twelve, he'd probably be running around, taking flashy pictures and screaming when a dinosaur's head whipped his way due to automatic controls. Either way, Mabel would act the same around these giant prehistoric dinosaurs, laughing and giggling at both the scary and small ones. Dipper still flinched of course, but he'd automatically put his scowl back on his face before his sister could tease him about it. He got caught a few times here and there, but thankfully, Mabel didn't tease him too much about it.

"Oh my God, look!" Mabel cried out, jumping up and down while she held onto Dipper's shoulders. "It looks like something I would keep as a pet!" she exclaimed, putting a hand on her chin in thought, as if she was considering duplicating the dinosaur to keep it for her own. Dipper scoffed. The dinosaur, he had to admit, wasn't as ruthless as he thought it would look. It had short, stubby horns and a short body, kind of like a komodo dragon. _Estemmenosuchus,_ Dipper thought.

"Estemmenosuchus," a voice said behind them, as if echoing his thoughts.

Dipper and Mabel whipped around at the same time, both twins wearing matching grins. They would know that cute, little voice any where.

"JJ!" Mabel squealed, running towards the little boy wearing a green t-shirt. She bent down and hugged him, the little boy doing the same.

Behind the reunited pair, Soos chuckled. Beside him, holding his hand, was his wife, Melody. Melody had one arm wrapped around a baby, whose head was turned away from them as it slept quietly on her mother's shoulder. Dipper grinned, thankful for the surprise.

"How are my favourite dudes doing, hambones? " Soos asked them in his same old voice they were so used to hearing.

"Dr. Soos! We're doing fine, actually!" Mabel laughed, letting go of the pouting boy. Dipper stepped forward and let the boy hug his hips, rubbing the top of JJ's head with a silent laugh.

"How's your eye, Dipper? Is everything going alright at the Shack?" Melody asked him in genuine concern. Dipper opened his mouth to respond, but once again, he couldn't. He glanced at his sister for help, who immediately stepped in.

"Dipper's vocal cords got disrupted by the crash. He can't speak, but so far, so good. No screaming in the middle of the night, at least," Mabel informed the family.

"Well, that's nice to hear!" Melody said with a smile. "Oh, well, I meant him not screaming in the middle of the night thing. Not you guys getting into a crash, because that's, well, really bad, but- oh, I should shut my mouth now."

"It's so nice to see you guys again! What brought you over here?" Mabel asked them in genuine surprise. Dipper looked up at the couple for the answer.

"Oh, well," Soos laughed, rubbing the back of his head, "JJ here really wanted to see the dinosaurs, and both me and Mel had time so, yeah! Here we are! What about you two, dudes?"

"Oh, us? Sir Dipping Sauce here wanted to spend time with me, because let's face it, everyone wants to hang with Mabel! We were actually going to watch the play after this," Mabel told them. _We are?_ Dipper questioned, looking sideways at his sister. She elbowed his rib softly, and Dipper pouted.

"Really? Wonderful! We were just going to go there after we let JJ look at the dinosaurs. Do you guys want to go together or are you alright here?" Melody asked them, temporarily letting go of her husband's hand to pat her groggy waking child on the back.

"Oh, that would be wonderful!" Mabel beamed. Dipper opened his mouth to reply, but Mabel stepped on his shoe, shutting him up completely. He glared sideways at her, and she smiled innocently.

"Hmm, well, the play is starting soon. I'd rather we go now before we have to squeeze in into the back row," Soos chuckled, looking at his broken watch on his wrist. Instead of sporting his normal green t-shirt and khakis like he used to around the Mystery Shack and outside of it in his time of owning it, he was now sporting a suit, his fez on his head. Mabel patted JJ's head, making JJ pout childishly.

"I don't think poor JJ here likes that idea. Don't you think we can waste a _little_ more time here?" Mabel asked, bargaining with the Ramirez family. Soos and Melody shrugged, not caring whether or not they stayed. JJ, on the other hand, pumped his hand and cheered, grinning the widest smile Dipper was glad to see.

"I mean, if you guys wanted popcorn and tomatoes to throw at the guy if he sucked, we might as well do it now," Soos told them.

"Or, we could just buy it and let the kids enjoy themselves, Soos. We can handle it," Melody laughed, putting a hand on her husband's arm.

Soos shrugged, and turned to look at the trio. "Will you guys be okay here? I mean, Stan would want me to watch you guys in case something happened," Soos told them in worry. Mabel waved a hand in dismissal, and Dipper smiled reassuringly.

"We're fine here, don't worry about us. I mean, we've survived five years here. We can handle a dinosaur exhibit," Mabel assured him. JJ shifted over towards Dipper subconsciously, and Dipper put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently like a father figure.

"Well, alright. We'll call you when we got the popcorn ready," Melody told them, hiking up her child further up. "

And the tomatoes," Soos reminded her.

"And the tomatoes," Melody repeated, rolling her eyes.

The couple left, turning around briefly to wave goodbye and blow a kiss to their son, who blew a kiss back cutely, a light sparkle in his eyes.

"So, JJ, which dino have you not seen yet?" Mabel asked him, taking one hand and Dipper taking JJ's other.

"I haven't seen that one!" JJ told them, letting go of Dipper's hand briefly to point at a strung-up dinosaur that looked like it belonged in the ocean. And it might as well have, as the backdrop was blue and whale noises emitted from it like a sad lament.

As they walked down the hallway of the dinosaur exhibit, laughter could be heard from fifty feet away. It was coming from JJ and Mabel themselves, laughing about the funny looks the dinos had and how funny it was that the dinosaurs had to swivel their heads around to look at them when they stepped on a special pressure plate. They even laughed together when Dipper cringed away from the dinosaur noises and the dinosaurs themselves, and JJ had the nerve to call him a wimp. But Dipper secretly enjoyed himself, keeping watch on his sister and his godchild like a proud person. He laughed when it was appropriate, when JJ or Mabel made up a joke or they laughed themselves. He had to admit, it was a good distraction from the past few days, and he wished he talked to the young boy sooner. The boy always tried to include him in their conversation, ultimately dropping out of the plan when he kept remembering that Dipper couldn't talk, but it didn't stop him from trying anyway.

"And then this girl, Hannah, asks me if I was related to the Great Soos, and I said yeah! And guess what, Aunt Mabel? I became important!" JJ exclaimed, puffing out his chest for emphasis.

Mabel laughed, rubbing the top of his head in affection. "You're always important to us, JJ. Don't act like no one in this world cares about you," Mabel told him. JJ grinned sheepishly, a little embarrassed that his sort-of-godmother would show affection in public, despite no one being in the exhibit as of yet. It was late afternoon on a weekday, what did Dipper expect?

"Well, I became _important_ to people I don't know personally. Is that better?" JJ retorted. Mable hummed under her breath, bobbing her head in approval.

"Much, much better, Jesus Junior," Mabel chirped.

Dipper quickly lifted the boy up before he tripped on his shoelaces, and JJ gave him a brief flash of a smile in gratitude. Dipper smiled back at him, a soft smile he was barely able to muster. "Anyway, I sort of became famous after that. Not only was I famous for being the Great Soos's son, but because I became this awesome volunteer's favored student!" JJ beamed. Mabel and Dipper flashed each other knowing looks. They were waiting for that subject to pass up, and their patience helped.

"So...about this volunteer guy. What's he like?" Mabel asked JJ in nonchalance. But Dipper, after being her twin and being literally raised in the womb with her, he could hear the excitement in her voice. To be fair, he was just as excited and curious as her. What human being would descend from heaven and bless this poor child with a new friend he'd be ecstatic about?

"Oh, him? He's awesome!" JJ proclaimed, his steps almost bouncy as he walked through the last of the dinosaurs. They were nearing the exit, and Dipper barely had to squint to find it. "He's so nice to me and to everyone else, too! He's not really smiling around people his age, though. He just seems to like us better. Not that I'm complaining. The girls are _particularly_ fond of him. 'Guess they're into blond guys. Which sucks." JJ slurred the bigger words, having trouble with them like a normal child should.

The twins shared looks as they glanced up from each other from looking down at the bouncing boy, looks of interest and curiosity as they wanted to know more details about this mystery volunteer. "Is he a transfer? I don't think I've ever met him, and I've been working at the daycare during my free time since I was twelve!" Mabel mused, scratching the side of her head. JJ shook his head.

"Miss Rosemary says he's new. But I'm glad he replaced that scary, glaring-at-everyone man. He's like, the coolest person I have ever met! No offense," JJ added, quickly adding the last part in case any of the twins were offended.

"None taken," Mabel said with a shrug, and Dipper shrugged as well.

"How did you guys become friends?" Mabel asked him, pushing further into this volunteer like a mystery detector. Dipper looked down at JJ. The boy quickly stopped in his tracks to view a giant looking dinosaur encased in glass, and the twins stood right behind him as he put his arms on the frame and looked up with a twinkle in his eyes. It became quiet in the exhibit, with the occasional roar of a dinosaur and a squeal of surprise as some guests poured in.

"He was hurt," JJ whispered, almost to no one in particular.

The twins glanced at each other. Dipper cleared his throat, and motioned to the turned boy, motioning for his sister to inference. "Wha-? Oh, right!" Mabel said in surprise, going out of her state of daydreaming. "How was he uh, hurt?"

JJ stayed quiet, and Dipper wondered for a moment if the boy even heard. It was until the boy turned around to look at them with a sad look that he realized that JJ definitely heard what Mabel said. "He made a mistake that he didn't even cause, and his boyfriend left him," JJ explained, almost in a monotone that made Dipper think of himself. Mabel almost coughed into her hand.

"So he was-?" Mabel squeaked.

"Gay, I think he said? Though he did say he was confused with his sexuality. He said there were over twenty thousand kinds in the multiverse," JJ said, his twitching lips betraying his kind smile. Mabel's tiny smile that was forming was quickly turning into a frown.

"Multiverse? Who the _H- E_ \- double hockey sticks says multiverse?" Mabel mumbled underneath her breath. _And who says H- E double hockey sticks,_ was what Dipper wanted to say. Though what Dipper was most focused on, was the vocabulary this kid had. How old was JJ again?

"Why on Earth would he tell you about _that?"_ Dipper's twin asked in surprise.

"He helped me get through my problems, so I wanted to do the same. Well, he thought I was too young at first, but I think I helped. I hope," JJ added, looking up to the ceiling in thought. Mabel shared a confused look with her twin. _What is going on?_ Dipper mouthed. She shrugged, looking as lost as he was.

"He wants him back," JJ said to no one in particular. "More than anything in this world. He literally gave part of his soul to protect him."

Dipper snorted. That was the cheesiest thing he heard in a long while, and that was saying a lot, considering how many romance novels Mabel read over the years. The volunteer probably said it as a metaphor, because honestly, even if it was possible, who would give part of who they are to someone they were just programmed to mate to? Mabel elbowed his ribs when he looked unimpressed, and Dipper grinned sheepishly in response.

Before any of the two siblings could stop it, JJ was on a roll. "Apparently, according to the nice man, he was sort of...possessed, I think he said? The other girl he was making out with was love-poisoned, which he found out just recently. I think he rambled about that angrily just yesterday, when he came in for a night visit. He helped me draw a car for Dad. His pencil crayon broke like, five times before he gave up and started rambling about some plan he had that his lover couldn't resist. I wish it would work, you know? I even made him a drawing of his ring he always fidgeted with when he was drawing."

Dipper inhaled sharply, hiding his shaking hands in his jacket pockets. Mabel was shifting uncomfortably, and she was frowning at the ground, like the ground was disappointing her as she drew a blank line of this mysterious volunteer. No, no. It couldn't be him, right? It was impossible. So, so improbable-

"Hey, Uncle Dipper," JJ called out, getting Dipper's attention, "what happened to your arm?"

Dipper looked down at the spot where JJ was pointing at, which was his forearm. He turned it over, and found the two zigzags of a scar staring up at him. It was fading, but not as fast as a scar should heal. By now, it should've scabbed, but it still seemed...well, fresh. "He got it in a car accident. Nothing to worry about, JJ," Mabel assured the little boy. JJ frowned.

"Are you sure? Because Bill said-"

A man bumped into Dipper's shoulder, and thanks to his already shaky knees and the news that came with it, Dipper fell to the ground, his knees aching out in pain.

He supported his weight on his arms, and even then, they were trembling so hard it reminded him of a newborn deer. He heard faint calls of his name, and a person sat down beside him and put a hand on his back in support. He felt like throwing up. He felt like crying. But why? What was it that JJ said that made him break down like this?

And when he finally figured it out, he wanted to laugh. The ring. He told Bill to do whatever the hell he wanted, but the idiot still kept it. Fidgeted with it as a way of comfort, even.

" _Sanguinem proditor,_ " a man hissed at him, his voice almost as clear as the thoughts swirling in his head. " _Why do you still crawl home?_ "

When he blinked the thoughts away with an angry feeling bubbling in his chest, he found a scatter of papers in front of his face. Beside him, Mabel was looking at them with a pale face, her face bound without any emotion. She was frozen, her eyes never leaving the scattered pages. His eyes searched the pages, and he saw pages of codes, of a demon he never saw, and of a particular page he couldn't seem to get his eyes off.

"It's back. Why is it back?" Mabel whispered, horror oozing into her tone.

It was of seven symbols. Another sight of another disaster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun, new cipher wheel (Ladder? Prophecy? Meh). Thanks to Erica for rendering it for me!


	25. The Angel With Blond Hair

_"They_ _say before you start a war,_  
_You better know what you're fighting for._  
_Well, baby, you are all that I adore._  
_If love is what you need, a soldier I will be._  
_I'm an angel with a shotgun, fighting 'til the war's won,_  
_I don't care if heaven won't take me back._  
_I'll throw away my faith, babe, just to keep you safe._  
_Don't you know you're everything I have?_  
_And I wanna live, not just survive tonight._  
_Sometimes to win, you've got to sin._  
_Don't mean I'm not a believer._  
_And major Tom will sing along._  
_Yeah, they still say I'm a dreamer."_

**[Angel With A Shotgun | The Cab](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua830TJ1jxA) **

* * *

"Dipper? Dipper! Dip- God fucking damn it, again?!"

Dipper put down his pen on his desk, swiveling around in his chair just in time to see the door swing open to reveal his frowning sister. _What?_  he mouthed, tilting his head innocently. Mabel's frown deepened teasingly, and she put her hands on her hips. "Dipper Pines, how dare you not come downstairs to eat with your family?" Mabel sighed. _It's only breakfast!_ Dipper wanted to argue. _Plus, you're the only family here right now._

"True, true," Mabel hummed, leaning against his door frame. She was wearing a light purple jacket, draped around her shoulders lazily like she was a queen. Her white leggings were probably not ideal for the muddy weather outside, but hey, it wasn't like they were going out today. For the past two days, they both stayed at the Shack, either working or lounging around inside the living room when it wasn't their shift. And, for those past two days, Dipper obsessed over the lost journal pieces.

For some reason, the names on the paper were burnt out, and no matter how hard Dipper tried or how many times he used techniques to revive it, he couldn't get the name. Big chunks of papers were even ripped out, and it frustrated him to the point he almost wanted to ask for help. But he wanted to do this by himself. That man dropped those papers in front of him for a reason, and even his own _sister_  seemed to think it. Mabel, for some godforsaken reason, would try so hard to get him away from the papers every single time she had the time, and it angered Dipper that his own twin didn't believe he could crack the code. Sure, maybe she was just trying to keep him healthy and stop him from becoming a hermit, but why do _this?_

Dipper turned around in his chair and hunched back over his desk, turning on his UV light to check for some hidden messages. As before, there was. But they made no sense. He frowned, rubbing a hand over his face. A stubble was starting to grow, and it made him feel like a lumberjack. A thin, grumpy lumberjack for that matter.

"Your shift starts in twenty minutes, by the way," Mabel reminded him, playing with a pen she found on his bed side table. She kicked away his dirty clothes with a wrinkle of her nose, and Dipper rolled his eyes. _Yeah, I know. I'll come down soon. Anything else you want to bother me with, oh sister of mine?_ Dipper wrote down on the corner of a draft paper. Mabel grinned, her eyes getting a faraway look. Then she blinked, and looked down at the folded glasses beside his desk. "Nah, not really, just wanted to see if you were hungry. Do you mind if I wear these?" Mabel chirped, grabbing the glasses before Dipper could protest.

She shoved them onto her face, and Dipper scowled. He tapped the desk with a finger impatiently. _That isn't even your grade,_ Dipper grumbled in thought. "Whoa, Dip! Everything is so _clear!_ " Mabel giggled, putting her hands in front of her face and moving them around. Dipper gave her an unamused look. Mabel made a sour face a second later, her left eye twitching. "Oookay, nevermind. Damn. Everything is cross-eyed now," Mabel said, taking off Dipper's glasses and setting them down on the table. Dipper shoved his own glasses to his face before his sister could take it again.

 _Well? You might as well catch up with your shows now,_ Dipper told her through his scowl, waving a hand away in dismissal. Mabel narrowed her eyes down at him.

"You haven't eaten at all yesterday, other than a granola bar and an energy drink. Come on, Dip, just eat a healthy breakfast for once. For me?" Mabel begged, using her puppy eyes. Dipper frowned, drumming his fingers on the table. He shifted his weight on his chair, causing it to shriek out, making him cringe. His jaw ticked, working overtime as he tried to work up the courage to speak, once and for all, but even with the voice therapy he got over the past few days and the suggestion to try and speak even for a little bit at home, he couldn't speak. It was like his mouth was glued shut, and Dipper felt a knot of frustration in his stomach.

Then, seeing that there was no harm in eating and working for a couple hours before coming back to the papers, he shrugged. Mabel squealed in delight, grabbing his arm and pulling him up from his chair. "Awesome! You have no idea how long it took preparing your breakfast, phew! Like, seriously, Dip. I made you three blueberry pancakes with drizzling syrup and some fruits to help bring it all down," Mabel told him, rolling her eyes. Dipper gave his sister a look of surprise and opened his mouth to speak. But none came out, and he was forced to go down a set of stairs and walk through some rooms to get into the kitchen. And she wasn't kidding about preparing his breakfast.

If he could speak, he would've told Mabel that she didn't have to go through all this trouble to make him breakfast. But since he couldn't speak, might as well make a noise of surprise, his open mouth spoke his shock. 

Three pancakes, neatly stacked, with butter and syrup drooping down at the sides like a commercial for a diner. A basket of fruits were in the middle of their kitchen table, and a tall glass of orange juice sat beside his food, all untouched but fresh to be eaten. Eggs and bacon were being fried in a pan, unattended, but Mabel quickly skipped over and turned off the stove casually, like this was supposed to happen. She spooned the eggs and bacon into a plate, all sizzling and smelling like heaven. She placed it on the table beside his pancakes, and Dipper still stood in the middle of the kitchen with a dumbfounded look. It was breakfast fit for a king.

"A little too much?" Mabel laughed, beckoning him over to sit down. She sat down across from his chair, pulling in some bacon and eggs for herself. Dipper snapped out of his trance and shuffled his stiff legs over to the table, pulling out his chair and plopping his butt down. _A little_ , he smiled. But no one is going to complain about free food. And besides, he realized with a growl of his stomach that he was _starving_.

Dipper gingerly picked up his fork and speared it through the pancake, taking a huge chunk out and plopping it into his mouth. The pancake exploded inside his mouth, like cotton candy sort of. He moaned in delight, his voice scratchy and husky, still unused from the car crash just about a week ago.

"Damn Dipper, save the moaning for Bill," Mabel teased.

He wished he had a dictionary with him at the moment. 

Dipper ate his first pancake in ten seconds flat, then the second, then the third. He would've gotten a fourth, but Mabel scolded him, saying that he should eat some eggs and bacon as well. His whining didn't last long after that, as the eggs and bacon were just as good. He kept forgetting that Mabel won a cooking contest in eighth grade, wooing all the judges the moment they bit into her omelette. 

Ten minutes later, he was literally stuffed with food. He felt like Hansel and Gretel, being stuffed with food before they were going to be eaten by a witch. Or, in this case, being forced to work by an evil twin named Mabel Pines. 

Dipper sighed through his nose in relief, leaning against his chair and placing a hand on his stomach. "Watch out, Dipper, you might get pancake twins in a few hours in the bathroom if you keep eating like this," Mabel warned him. Dipper pushed her chair back playfully with a foot. Mabel gave him a grin, her mouth stuffed with bacon. Her brother wrinkled his nose in disgust, pushing her chair back further until her chair hit the back of the pantry. Ah, having long legs. It had its perks. For example; pushing an annoying sister away.

Dipper looked down at his watch, yawning lazily. He wasn't a morning person, unlike his energetic twin here. His shift began in ten minutes. "So are you going to start working now or what?" Mabel asked him in curiosity, gulping down her food. Dipper reached over and took a sip of his orange juice, sitting up straighter in his chair. _I have ten minutes to spend, I'm not wasting it on work,_ Dipper scoffed. "Your philosophy has never been more right, Dip," Mabel chirped, pointing a fork at him lazily. She went back to shoveling some more eggs into her mouth, all the while drawing in a notebook she set beside her on the table.

Dipper craned his neck upwards, just to see what his sister was drawing. As if feeling his gaze and raised eyebrow in question, Mabel looked up at him. "It's just my doodle book. Melody suggested I start using one to help calm myself. She said it worked with her any time she had to take care of her children," Mabel quickly explained, her hand still drawing lines on the book. Dipper almost grimaced. He forgot to say goodbye to the Ramirez family this morning. They left to go back to their own town, bringing sweet little JJ with them. 

"Oh, don't worry," Mabel assured him, seeing his slight frown, "I made them a card before they left. I forged your signature on it with mine. Be thankful you have a twin, man."

Dipper grinned sheepishly, using his hand to pat down his hair. His elbow popped out in pain, making him cringe slightly in a grimace. But he was used to it after having it crack around for the past few days, the pain becoming more and more bearable as time went on. He didn't even need to wear a bandage wrap anymore, leaving his elbow only slightly swollen and red. His weird Aquarius symbol stayed on his forearm, never fading. It freaked him out, but his doctor quickly assured him that it was just a slight delay in his body's nutrition when Dipper phoned him in the middle of the night. As for his ankle, well, he had better days. But he didn't limp anymore, and that was a plus. As for his eye?

He took JJ and Mabel's advice and started to use a glass eye. He appeared to look normal now, and no one gave him weird looks on the street. The only problem with his glass eye was cleaning it every now and again. It made him frustrated, but he'd rather walk around with everyone passing him without weird looks then to have the latter. 

"In case you were wondering, Wendy and some other guy is working in the gift shop, according to Wendy herself. Rookie's with the tour group," Mabel suddenly spoke, looking to her left as her phone buzzed with a new text. She frowned. "She says the guy is kinda distracting the girls in the Shack," she said, trying her best to keep a straight face. But it didn't work, and she burst out into fits of giggles. "Whoever Soos recruited before he left must be a charmer. Wendy says some of the girls can't control themselves," Mabel scoffed.

 _He seriously can't be that hot,_ Dipper said through his unimpressed look. 

"Hmm...let's see..." Mabel hummed, scrolling through her texts. She typed out a response with a finger, her right hand still moving as she drew lines on her doodle book. "Wendy says the guy's shirtless. Like, shirtless-shirtless. No shirt-shirtless. Shirtless without-"

Dipper rolled his eyes, gesturing for his sister to continue. "Apparently, this kid's drilling in some new shelves in and testing the old ones to make sure they work fine. He got hot halfway through and uh-" Mabel stopped in between her sentence to choke out a laugh, almost choking on her speared bacon. "Oh God, Dip. Good luck," she giggled. 

Dipper scoffed, moving a strand of his hair out of his face. _I'm going to get ready,_ he mouthed, getting up from his chair and jabbing a thumb into the living room behind them. "Yes, yes, get ready to have your underwear dropped by this shelf guy," Mabel told him nonchalantly, her eyes still glued to her phone. Dipper threw a stray sock at her face, taking the sock off the floor. She dodged it with a laugh, gnawing on her bacon with a grin. Dipper huffed, making his way back upstairs. 

There was something about the way she was talking about this guy unnerved him. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he could've sworn he heard that tone before, when she was plotting something like...

He massaged his shoulder as he came into his bathroom, shutting the door with his foot. He locked it, jiggled it to make sure it was locked, and stripped himself of his clothing. He opened his bathroom cabinet and wrapped in a new bandage to replace his old one around his shoulder, flattening it out with a palm. He took out the shaving cream and shaver from the cabinet and shaved his face clean, washing it right after. Then he grabbed the fresh clothes off his shower rack (he always prepared his clothes in his bathroom now) and put them on. A fresh white tee and some jeans, simple enough for his taste. He walked out of the bathroom after putting on some deodorant, slipping his socked feet into the shoes right outside the hallway. 

Dipper walked down the stairs, almost chuckling at the sight of his sister still in the kitchen, still typing away with one hand and doodling with the other. Her tongue stuck out on one side, and he noticed a band-aid wrapped around her right hand middle finger. He whistled a high note, causing Mabel's eyes to snap up to him. "Yep?" she chirped, her eyes coming back down to her phone. Her right hand still moved with the pencil. Dipper pointed at her band-aid, and rose an eyebrow. She looked at her band-aid in surprise, as if seeing the band-aid for the first time.

"Wha-? Oh! It's nothing, it was a stupid cooking accident last night. I was chopping some veggies and then bam!" Mabel babbled, flexing her right hand. Dipper scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

 _I'm going to go and work. You cool?_ Dipper mouthed. Though Mabel wasn't an expert lip reader, she _was_  his twin. Mabel bobbed her head once confidently, a smile on her face. "Knock 'em dead with your forever scowl, Dip! I'll help around later. There's nothing good on TV today," Mabel told him. Dipper flashed her the thumbs up, then grabbed his navy jacket off the hook, slipping his arms into it as he pushed open the door to the gift shop.

He breathed in the scent of pine trees and dusty antiques, feeling his shoulders droop in relaxation. He would never admit it to anyone, but he loved being in here. It was usually quiet, and it let him think in peace. Dipper was immediately greeted by chatting tourists and a sound of a cash register being opened, and he turned around to the sound.

Wendy was manning the cash register, handing an old lady a five dollar bill and some coins before waving goodbye with a tired smile. A pine tree hat, the same Dipper used to have, sat on her head. She saw him out of the corner of her eye, and she waved at him in greeting. Dipper came over, taking his spot next to the open cash register next to her. "Nah, I got it. Count the bills for the day. Business is booming today, man," Wendy told him, punching his shoulder playfully. Dipper smiled kindly, shifting away from the cash register to the side of the counter with nothing on it. He pulled out the notebook from the compartment underneath the counter and grabbed a pencil from his jacket pocket, flipping it to the current bill page.

He placed the tip of the pencil in his mouth as he flipped through the notebook, dragging a finger down the pages with flicking eyes. He grabbed his pencil out of his mouth and scratched down another equation.

 _Were you paid this week?_ Dipper wrote down on his notebook, passing it to his friend next to him, his eyes still on his notebook. "You know, Dipper, I would totally lie and say no, but I think you already know the answer," Wendy told him. Dipper shrugged and wrote down another number, scratching Wendy's name out of the notebook page.

He asked Wendy to open the cash register so he could quickly count, and he added up the subtotals within minutes, splitting them for the employees that worked in the Shack. He added some more to Wendy's and Damon's for both taking some extra time this week while Dipper and Mabel were away, and added extra tips for the employees he couldn't remember the names of for being helpful throughout this whole week. That left him with some extra money for the taxes, and he quickly substituted the total. He grimaced when he finished. That left him with barely enough money to pass through the week with the water and electricity bill. The hospital fees drained their bank account, draining even their gold money. Why did Grunkle Stan decide to live here, and not in some place with free health care like Canada?

"Yo, Dip! Check this out!" Mabel called. 

He looked up in time to see his sister beckoning for him to come to her, her phone in hand. Some tourists gave them weird looks, but most just kept looking around the shop with disinterested looks. Most knew of the twins here. 

Dipper set his notebook and pencil down, walking away from the counter with a cracking back. He stretched his back, yawning. He forgot to drink some coffee this morning, and that decision was quickly making him regret it. The boy made a grunting noise that sounded a lot like a caveman, and his sister rolled her eyes. She showed him her phone, a small smile on her face.

Dipper's eyes scanned the screen with a small frown on his lips, his brow furrowed in question. Then his brow softened as he kept on reading, and his frown turned into pursed lips. It was a text message from their mom, saying that Mabel can only stay in Piedmont for a few weeks before she had to come back to Gravity Falls, as their house was going to be sold soon and they needed to renovate it until then. A knot of excitement and relief tightened and contracted in his stomach. Mabel was going back here sooner than they anticipated. Mabel was going to still be here with him.

Then he frowned again. He looked up at his sister, his frown speaking out his question. "I mean, a few weeks isn't what I wanted, but it's better than nothing. I can think over my life in a span of a few weeks, right?" Mabel chirped. Dipper smiled softly. _When will you come back exactly?_ he mouthed. "Hmm...maybe the first week of August? Definitely before our nineteenth birthday. We can't miss our last year of being a teenager, am I right?" Mabel laughed. Dipper tilted his head slightly to the side in thought, pushing his glasses further up his nose as it began to slip down.

 _Are we inviting the whole town for a birthday party bash again or...?_ he told her with a look.

Mabel pursed her lips, bouncing on her heels as she stuffed her phone back into her pocket. "Oh, uh, I don't think-" Mabel began, scratching her cheek.

"Hey Wendy, where do you want these planks?" a tired voice asked behind them.

Mabel's eyes widened, and Dipper's back froze up. His breath caught in his throat, his arms hanging uselessly by his sides. His heart began to pound, and a flash of adrenaline went through him. No, no, no, _no, no_ -

"Oh yeah, just put them over there. You can drill them in now or later. Your choice, I guess," Wendy said with a shrug, opening the cash register once more to take some money from a little boy buying a hat. 

Dipper pivoted around on one heel, his breathing not getting easier as he searched around for the one boy he didn't want to see. But, lo and behold, Bill Cipher was standing near the entrance, two wooden planks carried heavily on his shoulders.

And he was shirtless.

With only dark-washed jeans that were dirty and ripped from his time working with the shelves.

Was it just Dipper or was it getting hot in here?

He gulped down a shaky breath as Bill stalked forward, not to him, but to the unfinished shelves near the corner of the room. The blond beast set them down against the wall, grunting as he bent down and took the planks off his shoulders. His shoulder blades strained, muscle ripping through as he did so. Dipper couldn't get his eyes (eye?) off as he watched, his hands shaking so bad he thought he was having a seizure. 

Bill stood up and stretched his back, putting his arms over his head as he did so. His hair was ruffled and messy, like he carelessly ran his hands through them over the past few days, and sweat glistened every where that Dipper could see. The sunlight didn't help either, as it caught his tan, lean body glistening with sweat, like a vampire's skin out Mabel's books, minus the tan. With Bill turned just the right way at them (but clearly not seeing them as his eyes stayed on the planks), Dipper could see the man's stomach. There weren't any abs, but close. His stomach was flat, a happy trail just going down, down, down, until it disappeared in his jeans. His abdominal V dominated Bill's body, and Dipper could feel his mouth go dry.

His working eye traveled up against his will, up to the handsome's man's face. Dipper sucked in a deep breath. With this angle, he could see almost everything that Bill possessed. His jaw line, so sharp and defined that he wondered for an embarrassing moment if he could just come over and feel it. His cheekbones, his cute upturned nose, his _eyes._ His eyes captivated the tiredness and sorrow in the blond boy as he stepped forward and knocked on the wood to make sure it was sturdy. The man's striking cold eyes were enough to make anyone's pants drop, and it didn't help that his brow was furrowed in deep concentration. His biceps weren't overly huge like the guys Dipper was constantly bullied by, but big and contrasted enough that it made the brunette wonder if Bill was working out recently. And _Oh God. There was a five o' clock shadow on Bill's face._

Every movement the blond boy made, every single ruffle of his hair, it made Dipper's mind draw a blank that this was the guy he was fooling around with for the past few weeks. 

"He's so hot," Dipper whispered hoarsely. 

And almost immediately, he began to cough. Just soft coughs to not draw attention, but it strained his throat enough that he got the message that he really shouldn't be talking at the moment. Mabel rubbed his back soothingly, her lips pursed and an alarmed look on her face.

"Yep, I hear ya, bro," she admitted, patting his back one last time. Dipper cleared his throat, rubbing his neck with a hand. She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts, and leaned in to her brother. "You're so lucky, Dip," she snickered. _No kidding,_ Dipper thought solemnly. 

Their eyes flickered back to the blond angel as he walked over to the other side of the room to get the drills, bending over as he plugged them in. Dipper's eyes watched his back and bottom, and gulped down. Bill's dark-washed jeans hugged every part of his bottoms, and most particularly, his butt.

"He has a nice ass," Dipper croaked out again, _once again_  forgetting that he was talking out loud and he really shouldn't do that. He froze up when he realized he said it out loud. This was why he was a social outcast for most of his life. 

Dipper's eye twitched as Mabel burst out laughing, clamping a hand over her mouth as she tried to not draw attention to them. _"Nice legs, daisy dukes, makes a man-_ get cured of a vocal disruption! _"_ Mabel sang out quietly, going off tune of the song.

She came back to her fits of laughter, and Dipper was too tired and busy looking at Bill's bent form to even care. His jaw slackened, and he realized that his sister was supporting his weight, holding onto his shoulders as his legs felt like jelly. "Okay, jeez, we get it. Your boyfriend's hot. Even I can see that," Mabel giggled, forcing Dipper back up to his full height. Dipper cleared his throat in embarrassment, and by this point, his face must look like a tomato.

But his sister's lust towards Bill ended there, and her eyes were no longer on the blond angel for another second. Her eyes strayed behind him, her face a look of stone and a mixture of hurt. A look of regret and sadness, as she looked at Pacifica Northwest, dressed in a simple purple jacket as she looked at the hats for sale. A long three clawed scar was running down her cheek.

Dipper elbowed his sister in the rib, a soft smile of encouragement on his face. _Talk to her,_ he said through his eyes. "What? No. I- I can't! She hates me, especially after I-" Mabel babbled, her face full of panic. Dipper rolled his eyes. He told her, just yesterday after he got the courage, writing on a piece of paper, that Pacifica was love-poisoned. Mabel felt extremely guilty afterwards, crying and sobbing as she looked down at her own two hands like _she_ was the monster. Dipper held her through the whole thing, unable to speak encouraging words to her in return. And though he knew that Pacifica was love-poisoned thanks to a certain black-haired man, he still had no idea about Bill. It was very much possible, but what Bill said in that diner attached to him like glue. _Controlled._

 _Do it. For me?_ Dipper mouthed, frowning at his panicked sister. Mabel sniffed, running a palm over her eyes. "She's going to kill me," Mabel croaked out with a airy laugh. _She wouldn't just come in here and not want to see you, Mabel,_ Dipper said through his unimpressed eyes. "Yeah, but-" Mabel frowned. Dipper pushed his sister forward, causing her to squeak out in surprise. Mabel looked back at him with a glare, and Dipper smiled innocently, stuffing his pockets into his jacket and shrugging.

With a teasing scowl and pout, Mabel walked off with a stomp of her feet. 

Dipper's lips twitched into a smile, and he shook his head as he went over back to the suppressed smiling Wendy. 

"Look," Wendy said, nodding his her head to Bill. Dipper looked back, and saw a hoard of girls and some boys looking at Bill's bent form with looks of awe. The girls giggled, and the boys were whispering out choruses of, "No homo but I'd tap that". Bill was done plugging in the drill and made his way to the unfinished shelves. He tested the drill, letting rip a big sound of a drill being turned, his biceps straining as he gritted his teeth to make sure the drill didn't let go of his grip. He ran a hand through his already messy hair, making it stick in five more directions then before. 

Dipper quickly turned back around to face Wendy, clearing his throat painfully in embarrassment. Wendy laughed at his red face. "What, you whipped or something?" Wendy teased. Dipper narrowed his eyes and scowled. _And you're not?_ Dipper wanted to retort. Wendy shrugged, already seeing the retort in his eyes. "I've dated guys just as hot as that guy over there. Sure, I kind of tripped over my tongue talking to him at first but meh. I don't have a chance. Plus, you two seem to have good chemistry," Wendy teased. _Shut it,_ Dipper thought solemnly. The redhead laughed.

"Always the same awkward child I first saw enter the Shack," Wendy said, shaking her head. She opened the cash register to take a ten dollar bill from a woman, giving back a few coins as she saw the price tag on the map the woman held out. Dipper moved behind Wendy to slip into place, opening up his notebook once more. His fingers shook as he pressed the tip of the pencil to the page, and he grunted in frustration. Well, at least he didn't have a boner. He kind of mastered it over the past few days. He was a growing man, so he had to set standards.

"Anyway, I forgot to ask, how are you and Mabel doing?" Wendy asked. He was thankful that the redheaded girl was a good conversation starter. She always seemed to know what to say without making things awkward. He shrugged his shoulders, pointing at his glass eye.

Wendy turned around and frowned. "What about your e-? Oh. Dang," she whistled, looking closer to find that one eye wasn't moving like the other. "So, you lost an eye. That's pretty badass, Dipper," she commented, looking at different angles. Dipper's neck hairs stood up in alarm as he felt someone watching them. He breathed in and out once calmly, telling himself that there were around twenty people in the shop right now, and that someone might just be looking over. But who would stare at them to the point that Dipper had a feeling that someone was a little mad?

"What happens if I tap it? Is that weird? Or?" Wendy asked, holding up a pointer finger to his glass eye. Dipper shrugged, and gestured for her to continue. "Sweet," she beamed. She tapped his eye, a hollow tapping noise filling the air, like a tapping of glass. "Whoa, is that supposed to happen?" she asked with raised eyebrows. Dipper shrugged once more. He didn't know either, anyway. 

"Oh, _hey,_ " a flirtatious voice drawled.

Dipper and Wendy glanced at each other, then looked over to the sound of the voice. A girl, along with two others giggling behind her, was _extremely_ close to Bill as he finished up working with the second to last shelf. She trailed a finger up and down his bicep, and Dipper's hand twitched. Other tourists ignored them, but Dipper and Wendy kept watching in curiosity.

Bill smiled kindly down at the girl, and Dipper inhaled painfully, feeling his heart contract. But then Bill casually brushed her hand away from his bicep, putting down the drill to inspect the new shelf. "Can I help you?" the blond boy asked, his voice filled with boredom but with a slight tinge of amusement. Dipper had to strain his ears to hear. 

"Oh yes, yes you can," the girl giggled, causing her two other friends to giggle as well. Dipper resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and Wendy beside him scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I was wondering if you would go on a date with me. Or, you don't have to call it a date, you know? I just need some hunk like you to go with me to a double date. Are you up for it?" the girl asked him, her voice husky and low. Dipper's grip on his pencil was so hard that he could _feel_  the pencil snapping underneath his hand.

And, to his utter surprise, Bill wrinkled his nose. Not in disgust, but maybe in retribution. "Oh, no, sorry girls. You girls are pretty cute-" he began, causing a flare of giggles to escape from them, "-but I don't think I'm fit enough as your date."

"What? Come on, you can't be serious!" the girl suddenly squeaked out in surprise. Bill shrugged in an attempt to apologize, quietly going back to work. He put a foot on the lower shelf and tested its weight, satisfied it didn't collapse. He swung a shirt over his shoulder off the floor, and Dipper had the feeling that was his shirt he took off before he got hot in the Shack. Bill jumped back down casually, wiping his face with his shirt. That caused Dipper's stomach to flutter with butterflies, and he could see that he wasn't the only one. The girls swooned, and on-lookers watched with interest. Bill suddenly looked smug, more like himself than before.

"Aren't you single? I mean, a taken person wouldn't just walk around the place with no shirt!" the girl cried out. Bill froze in his spot, his eyelids drooping a bit in thought. Then quickly and efficiently, he had his shirt back on. A yellow tee that would've looked gross on everyone else, but somehow amazing on Bill's body type. Dipper's jaw slackened.

"Oh, damn. He's taken. Ho ho, this is going to be interesting," Wendy said, amused with the situation. 

"You're taken?" the girl sputtered. Bill shrugged once more, his broad shoulders still clear even with his shirt back on. 

"Technically, I _am_  single, but my heart belongs to someone I can't call my own," Bill told them simply.

Dipper's heart thumped hardly in his chest. No, he couldn't be talking about _him,_ right? He must be talking about Pacifica. Or, maybe some other girl he found off the street after Dipper dumped-

Bill glanced at him. Not just a sideways glance, but a lingering gaze that made Dipper's heart stop in his chest for a full two seconds. His eyes softened at the sight of Dipper standing there, his shoulders drooping down. Bill licked his lips, and turned his gaze back to the girls.

"Now, go. I don't have time for sluts," Bill deadpanned.

The approaching girl was right about to slap him, before changing her mind when she saw his withering glare, withering away with it. " _Go,_ " Bill clipped, his voice short of any emotion other than annoyance. The three girls walked away, ashamed of their actions.

Dipper ducked his head back down to the notebook and smiled to himself.  He wrote down another equation, writing down "Bill Cipher" as one of them. He gave Bill some cash to split, and closed his notebook. 

"That," Wendy whistled, "was fucking amazing."

Dipper laughed quietly, a smile blossoming on his face. The clock on the wall told him that it currently eleven in the morning, and slowly, the customers were disappearing. Eleven O' Clock was usually blank hour, as most people had to go to work or eat at that time. Not that he was complaining. He needed time to think by himself. Well, think with his friend beside him and a shirtless ex he was _still_  not over, as pathetic as that sounded.

In less than twenty minutes, all the customers were gone, leaving the gift shop bare.

"You know, I never told you how relieved I was when I found out you and Mabel survived that crash without as much as a sprained shoulder," Wendy told him, playing with the cash register mindlessly. Dipper gave her a sideways look. "Right. And a missing eye," she laughed. Dipper nodded in approval, walking around the counter to look at the stock of hats. They were almost gone. He sighed, walking back over to the counter and bending over. He got out the box of hats, placing it on the counter with a grunt.

Near the corner, Bill was drilling in the last shelf, balancing his weight on a ladder. He seemed to do it with ease, with only sweat trickling down his forehead to indicate his frustration. 

Dipper began to restock, the sounds of pushing buttons and a cash register being opened, along with a drill being turned on, filling the air. "Yo, Dipper, remember that one time your Grunkle Ford gave your sister a shotgun to learn how to hunt?" Wendy suddenly asked. Dipper's lips twitched. Oh, he remembered. They were fifteen, and Mabel always complained of not having enough food. So, Grunkle Ford taught her how to hunt. It didn't go as expected. Mabel almost blew out their Grunkle Stan's hair. Grunkle Ford gave her a gold star when he found out. 

"What happened to the shotgun?" Wendy asked in curiosity. Dipper shrugged, shaking his head in a way to say, _I don't even know, she probably reconstructed the shotgun to look like a golf course._ Wendy snorted, closing the cash register once more.

"Yo, and remember that time you laid on my bra when we were chilling? Jeez, you were so awkward! But really good," Wendy commented.

Near the corner, the drill stopped spinning.

Dipper's hand almost stopped restocking, but he decided to keep going. Bill probably jammed it. "It was actually the best nights of my life, to be honest. Movie first, awkward stage, then more awkwardness, but you got over it pretty quickly," Wendy said again, pressing some buttons on the machine. Dipper smiled kindly at her. Yeah, he had to admit it was awkward, but it was fun watching really cringe-worthy movies that it was laughable. It was fun hanging out with her, even if he _did_ have a tiny, probably-probably-not crush on her at that awkward stage of adolescence.

The sound of a drill being slammed to the ground was heard, and Dipper jumped in surprise. He turned around, and his eyes widened in surprise. Bill was breathing, almost heavily, as he supported his weight on the bottom shelf with his arms. He kept his head down, his back heaving up and down rapidly. "Bill? You alright there?" Wendy called, frowning.

Bill's head jerked up. And Dipper almost tripped on his own two feet. His eyes were red-pupiled, and he almost seemed to bare his teeth. His angered eyes stayed on Wendy for a lingering moment before they shifted over to Dipper. "I have to-" he began, his voice a little strained. He took a shaky breath, and Wendy and Dipper looked at each other in concern.

"-I'm going to take a break. I'll see you two later." And Bill was out the door, almost ripping the door out of its hinges as he stormed out.

It became quiet, a little too quiet and stuffy, in the Shack.

"What just..." Wendy trailed off. She ran a hand through her hair. "Was it something I said?"

 _Considering that you basically implied we had sex, I think it was,_  Dipper thought sourly. Oh God. What Wendy said clearly got over Bill's head. He thought-

Dipper blinked, feeling a lump in his throat. _I have to talk to him,_ he thought. Almost as if Wendy heard his thoughts, she clapped him on the back.

"Go, man. Talk to your angered demon boyfriend," Wendy told him. Dipper gave her a weird look, and Wendy's eyebrows rose up in surprise. "Don't you-? Oh right, nevermind. Ah, just go talk to him. He's probably going to start something if you don't say anything," Wendy said with a grimace, as if she was reminiscing old memories.

So, with a sigh through the nose, Dipper went after his jealous ex.

He walked out of the door, closing it shut with a click behind him. Almost immediately, he heard a loud bang and a shatter, and cringed. Dipper sprinted over to the sound, his muscles tight in preparation. 

What he wasn't prepared for was for Bill, punching a whole straight through the side of the Mystery Shack.

He opened his mouth to speak, and clamped it shut. His one good eye was almost popping out of its socket. What the _hell_  made Bill this mad?

Thankfully, Bill saw him out the corner of his eye and his fist on the side of the Shack un-clenched. He moved his hand away, letting it hang uselessly by his side. "I'm sorry," Bill strained out, "I didn't realize I was-" He wasn't apologizing for the hole he made, Dipper could see that much. 

Dipper shook his head, taking a cautious step forward. Bill ran both his hands through his hair, pacing around the ground with a frustrated growl, the sound from deep within his chest. "You- you didn't tell me you were with _her_ , I should've- I could've-" Bill stammered, taking a gulp of air. Dipper frowned. He was acting stranger than usual. Never in his life has he seen this confident, smug bastard act like it was the end of the world. Especially for something this small.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, _I'm sorry_. For the past few days, I was losing _my mind_ , Pine Tree, I'm sorry, I wanted to tell you that as sincere as I could without you running away but- but I didn't-" Bill mumbled, his pacing getting more and more agitated. The lump in Dipper's throat got larger.

"Every time I go to sleep I- I see you," Bill whispered, stopping in his tracks. His hands were still in his hair. "I see your smile, your laugh, just _you._ And it makes me so...so fucking mad that I lost all that because of _her_  and because of _me_ and- and-"

Bill ran his hands through his hair, then his face, his hands trembling so badly that it could top Dipper's. Bill swallowed, his Adam's Apple bobbing. It became quiet, and Dipper walked forward, almost reaching out for the blond angel. Bill's lips trembled, and he took a shaky breath, one after another, before he spoke.

"I think I'm in love with you," Bill whispered, "I- I can't get you out of my head. You're always there. But you're never actually _here_  because I lost you. And I wish, every single day, that I could rewind it and prevent it from ever happening because you make being a human worth it, kid. You don't just make me want to breathe- you make me want to be _happy,_ and that scares the hell out of me."

Dipper's heart squeezed in his chest, and he looked over at Bill with a desperate look. Bill glanced at him, saw his gaping mouth, and began to laugh.  A bitter, sour laugh. "You hate me. You fucking hate me and I get that, Pine Tree. You'll hate me more if I tell you what I did. I get that. So please just- _go,_ " Bill whispered harshly. Dipper licked his dry lips, trying over and over again to speak. But nothing, absolutely nothing came out. Even without his disrupted vocal cords, he knew that he still wouldn't be able to speak. 

" _Pine Tree_ ," Bill begged, looking up at Dipper. His eyes were a look of sorrow and agony, a mirror of Dipper's a few days ago. "Just leave me alone. I told you everything I wanted to tell you already."

Bill laughed once more, shaking his head like this was the funniest thing ever. "My original plan was to take you by surprise and confess as dramatic and romantic as possible. But, that didn't go according to plan, did it?" Bill murmured. Dipper gulped down a sob. He realized with a shock that Bill was fidgeting with his promise ring, his eyes looking far away. Slowly, Dipper shook his head.

Bill gave him a sad look. "You're wasting your time here, kid. Just leave. I'm not worth it. You've seen that already," Bill told him. The blond boy sighed, running a hand through his hair once more. "I promised myself when I first saw you that I'd get you without hurting you. It was a game at first, but then...then I really _did_ want to protect you. You were so kind, so brave and self-less that it was basically like looking into the face of hope, something I was against since the dawn of time. But then you saw me and her, and I swear to you, Pine Tree, I wouldn't- I would never- oh God, I couldn't-"

He was cut off with a kiss to the lips.

The blond boy tensed under his touch, and quickly hooded his eyelids and wrapped his arms around the brunette's hips, quickly pressing him against the Shack. Their kiss deepened, and Dipper fulfilled his promise of feeling the boy's jaw. He ran a thumb over the scruff of Bill's jawline, breathing out in delight when he wasn't disappointed. Why did he never notice how handsome Bill was until now? Why did he never notice that he was basically the luckiest guy alive?

Bill recognized his excitement, breaking the kiss to kiss his collarbone instead. His jaw tickled Dipper's neck, and he shivered in pure bliss. Bill chuckled lowly in amusement, sending shivers down the poor boy's spine. He sucked on Dipper's collarbone for a while, and Dipper had no control over it as his legs almost collapsed underneath him in ecstasy. He bit down on his bottom lip to keep from moaning.

And when Dipper finally, _finally_ had the strength to stop the merciless boy before he can give him any bruises, Dipper put his hands around Bill's cheeks and lifted his face up gently. Bill peered at him with a dazed look, and Dipper knew he looked the same. 

"You're not mad at me?" Bill asked hesitantly, almost as if he was afraid of Dipper's words. His eyes still held a concern that Dipper wanted so badly to take away. 

Dipper licked his lips, and answered by bringing his face down to the angel's. He kissed Bill with a reassuring softness, moving his lips to mold with the other. He pulled away too quickly for him, and Bill whined softly against his face. But Dipper swallowed, the blockage in his throat removing and the weight on his shoulders coming off.

"I couldn't speak because my vocal cords got disrupted, you big dummy," Dipper breathed out hoarsely, causing Bill to smile softly. His voice sounded scratchy and croaky, even to his ears. But it didn't stop Dipper to kiss him once more, just so he could taste them again. Bill must have thought the same, and he kissed back with the same fiery passion Dipper got used to. 

Dipper pulled away, pressing his forehead against Bill's as they breathed in together, bodies pressed close and hearts beating together. He took a shuddering breath, and closed his eyes, feeling his angel watch him carefully, almost in wonder. As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Dipper couldn't feel anymore happier. 

"I think I'm love with you too," Dipper murmured. 

And he meant it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Bill-Is-So-Hot Trope is here and frankly I don't care if it's cliche for a billdip story. Besides, Dipper needs a way to get them vocals moving, huh? XD #Bill's Human Form is Hot 2k16


	26. Hits Below The Belt

_"And after all this time that you still owe_  
_You're still a good-for-nothing I don't know_  
_So take your gloves and get out_  
_Better get out_  
_While you can_  
_When you go_  
_Would you even turn to say_  
_'I don't love you like I did_  
_Yesterday'."_

**[I Don't Love You | My Chemical Romance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODl-QDUcmt8) **

* * *

Dipper worked in his office with wary eyes, typing away on his laptop.

His laptop beeped and screeched, considering that it was basically a hard drive from the early ages. Mabel tried convincing him to buy a new one, but he firmly stated no every single time. Who needs a new laptop when he had this bad boy?

His laptop blackened out, and he hit the side of the screen.

It flashed and started up again, making him sigh through his nose in irritation.

He put his fingers back on the keyboard and kept typing, blinking sleep out of his eyes. It was only ten in the evening, but he was already feeling the affects of sleep. Mabel hid all his coffee beans and even found a way to hide the coffee machine from the kitchen. It frustrated him to no end, and now he had to find a way to stay up without his best friend.

He removed one hand from the keyboard to take up a certain piece of paper off his desk. He stopped typing to peer down at it through his glasses. A triangle with a top hat and a bow tie, including one eye. This demon seemed to pop up in almost every single paper he recovered back at the museum, and no matter how hard he looked on the internet for 'demonic triangles with bow ties', no information helped him to understand it. Every single time the writing was just about to mention the name, the rest of the paper became burnt out. Like someone took their time to burn out the names. 

Dipper frowned as he ran a hand through the burnt edge of the paper. It was supposed to have the demon's name at the corner, no doubt. The handwriting the paper possessed, on the other hand, looked weirdly familiar. 

Dipper set it down, putting his glasses back up his nose when it slipped down. His sister thought it was funny to shade in the left side of his lenses to make it look like an eye-patch, as his left eye was missing anyway. It annoyed him to say the least, but he kind of liked it. That meant not having to clean another dirty pair of lens. 

His laptop beeped a long, emitting noise, and he jumped in his chair in surprise. He pushed his chair nearer to the desk and leaned in, looking at the laptop screen. A PDF file opened up for him, about a tragedy in Gravity Falls. 

He clicked through the first page, which was just talking about random shit meant for people who were more curious about the new president than the actual tragedy. His eye flickered back and forth, his hand tapping on the scroll button to scroll down through the article. Excitement bubbled in his stomach as he kept reading on, and he soon found out that the disaster struck roughly the same year he was twelve. Dipper clicked, then scrolled, stopped to read, and repeated.

Weirdmageddon.

Dipper leaned closer to his laptop in excitement, as a sudden flash of adrenaline came rushing through his stomach. That name...why did it sound so familiar?

He mumbled the article under his breath as he read on, his eyes focusing on the words despite the strain it was giving him. "Weirdmageddon, set in Gravity Falls just over five years ago, was probably the weirdest and devastating disaster the small town in Oregon has witnessed," Dipper murmured, "A rift was opened by an unknown cause and demons from different dimensions began to pour in to our dimension. Lead by a demon by the name of-"

"Yo, Dip!"

Dipper turned around, swiveling in his chair nauseously. He clamped a hand over his right temple and squeezed the migraine there, before it faded away. He clicked out of the article with an arm, and looked over at his sister with disinterest. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you," Mabel apologized, grinning sheepishly.

"Do you always have to do this?" Dipper complained, his voice croaky. Even now, with him already speaking since yesterday's incident, his voice was still getting used to being used again.

"Sorry. It's an emergency this time, I swear!" Mabel promised, walking into his room with her sticker-covered pink laptop. Dipper gave her an unimpressed look.

"You said that last time. And all you did was show me cat videos," Dipper pointed out. She shrugged.

Mabel set her laptop down on Dipper's desk, right beside his ancient laptop. Thankfully, she didn't tease him about it like she usually did, but instead clicked through something on her own girly tech. Dipper peered at her laptop. She was on a video-calling application.

"Who are you calling?" Dipper asked in curiosity.

"Didn't they tell you?" Mabel asked in disbelief, glancing down at her sitting brother with a surprised expression. Dipper frowned.

"Tell me what?" he asked. Mabel rolled her eyes, her eyes coming back to her screen. She typed in her password and account name, and the sound of an application being ran opened it. She clicked through the hundreds of names saved onto her laptop (Mabel laughed nervously and Dipper rolled his eyes), and typed in a specific name. 

'Grunkle Ford' was the name she typed in. 

"Grunkle Ford?!" Dipper squeaked.

"Obviously," Mabel snorted. 

"But- but he and Stan went to- how did you-?" Dipper stammered, leaning forward in his seat to look at the screen.

"He called me just a few minutes ago," Mabel explained, "we chatted for a bit about Gravity Falls and his adventures with his twin so far. Apparently, being underwater in a submarine still gives off Wi-Fi signals. He wants to talk to you."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Dipper asked solemnly.

"Aw, cheer up, Dip. He wanted to call you afterwards, anyway. It's not like I betrayed your humanity," Mabel laughed. Dipper pouted and crossed his arms over his chest like a little kid. "

You might as well have," he retorted, sticking out his tongue. Mabel did the same, and went back to her laptop. She typed in something, sending a little 'blip' sound to pop up.

"Oh, he's expecting us," Mabel told him, pointing at the chat screen. Grunkle Ford replied to her message with a simple, 'Yes, I'm ready to go, Mabel. Thank you!'. "I have to warn you, though," Mabel added, putting her mouse over the call button. She clicked on it, and the connecting screen showed up. "It'll take a while for him to connect. He may have Wi-Fi but damn, it's slow. It took me three minutes to connect to him."

Dipper shrugged in an _I don't really care_ way. "I don't really mind," he spoke. Then he suddenly got a thought in his head. "And hey, how are you and Pacifica?"

Almost as if the room became fifty degrees colder, the air tensed. Mabel's eyes narrowed slightly down at her laptop, and her fingers hovered over the keyboard. Her jaw ticked as she worked up a response, and Dipper clenched his hands into his lap. He shouldn't have said that. He really shouldn't have. What was he expecting, anyway? Sure, Bill and him made up, but it wasn't like another relationship was going to be magically fixed in the span of a week. Pacifica and Mabel were the most stubborn people he knew, and getting back together was on his bucket list. 

"I didn't talk to her," Mabel said quietly.

"Then...what the hell did you do when you walked out?" Dipper asked in slight confusion. Mabel gulped, pursing her lips. "I just...went out to do something. I was going to talk to her, I really was, but I kind of just, you know, thought better of it? It's better if I talk to her later, anyway. It's a little soon," Mabel told him. Dipper chuckled, despite himself.

Mabel narrowed her eyes down at him. The connecting screen was still on. "Ah yes, because one week is already too long before making up with your beau and making out with them behind the Shack," Mabel chirped. The tips of Dipper's ears warmed, and he lowered his head in shame. He rubbed his neck in embarrassment, laughing almost nervously to make it sound like a joke.

"I- I wasn't _planning_ to make out with him, it just- happened, you know? A- and I don't think I- I was in my right mind anyway, I mean I-" Dipper stammered.

Mabel cut him off with a laugh. "I'm just teasing, Dip," Mabel assured him, "love has no time limit. You and Bill are just _a little_ too rebellious with the timing thing. Next thing you know, you two are having official butt sex."

"MABEL!" Dipper's face heated up, and he glanced at the loading screen as if Grunkle Ford was eavesdropping. Mabel laughed at his embarrassment. 

"No, really, Dipper," Mabel soothed, "do what you want with him. I ain't gonna judge. I'm your sister. Your twin! When I act cranky when you two do something like that, just know I'm just a jealous twin with no life other than protecting my younger brother, alright?"

"You are literally five minutes older," Dipper pointed out.

"Exactly," Mabel answered, matter-of-factly.

Suddenly, the loading screen stopped well, loading, and up showed a minimized screen of their faces and a blurry video feed of their Grunkle Ford. "Hello? Hello? Can anyone here me? Darn being underwater. Next time, I'm going back inland for some fine wine," Grunkle Ford sighed. 

"Grunkle Ford!" Dipper and Mabel shouted out at the same time. 

Their Grunkle's blurry form heightened, and his features became clear. He was smiling, happy to see his grand-niblings even if it was just through a laptop screen. Over the years, with stress and age combined, lines of wrinkles appeared on his skin, and his hair became whiter by the seasons. It was almost completely white, except for some spots that still showed his younger years. Stress lines were underneath his eyes, and his hands showed his bony veins. It was almost like looking at a grandfather, not a Grunkle. But of course, their Grunkle Ford still kept that touch in him.

"How are you, Dipper?" Grunkle Ford asked with a hearty laugh.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. How about you and Grunkle Stan? Are you guys doing okay? Did you guys find any unique monsters down there?" Dipper asked, almost bouncing in his seat in excitement. With his Grunkles around, it was like he was younger again. 

Mabel clapped Dipper on the back. "I'm going to slip out. Are you guys going to be okay here?" Mabel asked with a smile.

"We'll be fine, Mabel. Thanks again," Grunkle Ford assured her, waving a goodbye. Mabel flashed two thumbs up, walking backwards out of the room before closing the door. 

Dipper and Ford stayed quiet until then, until they both turned their eyes to each other (or, the screens). "To answer your questions, I did. So many, actually. Your Grunkle Stan and I actually had to fight off the same giant squid because it wouldn't leave us alone," Grunkle Ford laughed, "the Stan O' War barely survived. In fact, to get down here, we had to make a new submarine. We still named it Stan O' War of course, much to my brother's insistence."

Dipper smiled softly. "So how's Grunkle Stan? He didn't cause any trouble yet, did he?" Dipper asked in curiosity.

"Oh, no, he's fine," Grunkle Ford assured him, waving a gloved hand in dismissal, "without him, I don't think I can survive here. He actually found this lost map on one of our recent expeditions, and we're down here to find whatever its leading. He thinks it's treasure, but I have a feeling it's an heirloom from a forgotten line of blood."

"That's nice to hear," Dipper said with a nod. 

His Grunkle Ford shifted in his seat when his submarine jiggled, and he steadied himself on a railing beside him. "Calm down with the controls, Stan!" Grunkle Ford yelled up.

"Gotcha, Stan!" Grunkle Stan shouted back up. Dipper laughed softly under his breath. 

"Your Grunkle is someone not to mess with. He sucker-punched a werewolf in the face yesterday for taking his beer," Grunkle Ford sighed.

"Yep, sounds like Grunkle Stan," Dipper commented, nodding his head.

"So, how are you doing, Dipper, really? Anything special going on there?" Grunkle Ford asked, his feed getting a little blurry before focusing.

"Uh, how much has Mabel told you?" Dipper asked meekly. His Grunkle put a hand on his chin and rubbed the slight scruff there, thinking.

"Well, I mean, she told me a little about her and Pacifica. Pity, I liked the girl. They made a perfect match," he finally said. Then he thought again. "And then she told me a little about your discovery on those pages. But that's about it."

Dipper's head snapped up in surprise. "Oh!" he exclaimed, shifted his chair so he could reach over on the desk. He grabbed some of the papers off the desk and shuffled through them. "You won't _believe_ what just happened while I was at the new museum with Mabel, Grunkle Ford. This man bumped into me and said some Latin words I couldn't understand, and then he dropped these. I've been obsessing over them ever since," Dipper babbled, showing some of the paper to the screen.

His Grunkle squinted his eyes and hiked up his glasses with a hand, leaning forward to the screen. He read through with his eyes going left to right, and for some reason, he began to pale. That was definitely something that Grunkle Ford wouldn't do, and Dipper's arms almost dropped to his lap in confusion. Dipper's brow furrowed as the elder man gulped down a breath, clenching his jaw. Ford's hands were shaking, and Dipper put down the papers after his Grunkle finally stopped reading.

And it finally clicked. The handwriting was his Grunkle's. These were the missing pages to the journal.

"Do you know what these are?" Dipper asked, a little breathless. He knew the answer of course, he just wanted to see if his Grunkle could tell him more.

"Of course," Grunkle Ford said, his voice a little strained. He cleared his throat, and started again. "Those are my notes."

"Really? Can you tell me about them? I've- I've been obsessing over them for days, and-" Dipper began, excitement filling his voice.

" _Dipper,_ " his Grunkle Ford said quietly. Dipper's mouth clamped shut in confusion. "Get rid of those notes. _Now._ "

Dipper frowned. "What? But- these notes- they look-" he began.

"I ripped them out of the journals for a _reason_ , my boy. Now, throw them away," his Grunkle Ford barked.

"Wh- no! Well, I mean, I will, but can you at least tell me why-" Dipper began, his hands gripping the papers tightly. 

"It's too dangerous to be in your hands. Or mine, for that matter," his Grunkle said with a tired sigh. He rubbed a hand over his face, taking off his glasses to clean them off with his dirty white tee. Dipper looked closely, and saw that his Grunkle was shaking, badly. What happened to his calm and collected Grunkle?

"Grunkle Ford, what are they?" Dipper begged, one last time. If he had to throw them away, at least he should know what he was obsessing over for the past week.

"Notes about someone you shouldn't be tampering with, Dipper. I don't know how that man found those notes, or how it got into anyone's hands after I thoroughly burnt them, but you have to get rid of them. Do you understand, Dipper?" his Grunkle asked him, peering at him with a slight fire in his eyes.

"But-" Dipper stammered.

"Do you _understand_ , Dipper?"

Dipper gulped down the bile rising in his throat, confusion freezing his body. Then, slowly and feebly, the younger boy nodded. "I- I don't get it. What happened?" Dipper asked with a squeak. His Grunkle took a deep breath through the nose and massaged the bridge of his nose to calm himself down. The both of them stayed quiet, and Dipper began to wonder if their connection just froze up with how still the other man was. Then his Grunkle spoke.

"What happened to your arm?" he asked quietly.

Dipper looked down on impulse, and his Aquarius scar stared up at him mockingly. It was completely visible with the way he had his arm turned. "Oh, it was just from the car accident," Dipper told his Grunkle, putting the papers away on his desk. He wasn't going to throw them away, of course. Not until he found out why, exactly, his Grunkle wanted to get rid of them. 

"Car...accident?" Grunkle Ford echoed slowly, his face becoming more and more confused.

"Oh, right. Mabel didn't tell you," Dipper said with an airy laugh, "my boyfriend cheated on me, along with Pacifica, as you probably heard. I think I had a panic attack on the road, and well...that's how I lost an eye, I guess."

His Grunkle Ford's eyebrows rose up in surprise. "You have- sorry, pardon me, _had_  a boyfriend? Jesus Christ, what's his name? I'm going to use Stan's brass knuckles on his fucking face," his Grunkle growled. Something about Ford swearing made Dipper a little uneasy and amused at the same time. Plus, the complete calmness he had learning that Dipper had a boyfriend made Dipper thankful. The last time Mabel brought home a date, both of the Stans threatened to turn all the way back from the Caribbeans.

"His name is Bill. We- we made up, actually. Love poison," Dipper admitted sheepishly, grinning.

But to his utter surprise, his Grunkle Ford's face fell.

"Bill?" he said, his tone sharp, "Bill _Cipher?"_

Dipper's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Uh- yeah, actually. Why, do you know him?" Dipper asked. His Grunkle Ford snorted.

"Hardly," he scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest, "but uh, good job, I guess. I didn't think about manipulating Bill in _that_ way. He'll be back in his bubble in no time."

Dipper's brow furrowed in deep confusion. "Wh-? No, Grunkle Ford, I don't think you understand," Dipper said slowly, like his Grunkle Ford was a first grader, "I'm...in love with him. Like, love-love, as my sister would put it. What made you think...?"

Grunkle Ford's jaw tightened. His eyes flashed with anger, but they were gone the next moment. "In love? With Cipher? Dipper, are you kidding with your Grunkle right now? Come on, just tell me. This is one of Mabel's ideas, right?" Grunkle Ford said, searching Dipper's face for a lie. But Dipper's expression was stoic, and his hands clenched slightly in his lap. What was his Grunkle thinking right now? Didn't he hear Dipper say that he was _dating_ Bill?

"Yes, I am. Why, are you still not over the fact that I'm gay?" Dipper asked, his tone clipped.

"What? Dipper, God no. I support you, one hundred percent. Your sexuality isn't my concern, in fact it isn't anyone's concern but yours but-" his Grunkle Ford said in surprise. He leaned forward in his seat, his screen tilting a little from Grunkle Stan moving the submarine. "-Bill? Bill _Cipher?_ Dipper, of all people, why _him_?"

"Because I don't choose who I like," Dipper snapped, "why are you acting so negative towards him? I thought you were better than this!"

" _Dipper, listen to me!_ " his Grunkle Ford roared, shutting him up almost immediately. The fire in his Grunkle's eyes returned, and Dipper almost withered away. "Bill Cipher isn't who you perceive him as. Whatever personality he shows you now, it's. Not. Him. He's nothing but a manipulative bastard who will literally tear you apart the moment he doesn't need you anymore!" Ford shouted angrily.

"Don't you _dare_ call Bill manipulative!" Dipper screamed.

His Grunkle Ford leaned back in surprise, blinking. They were suddenly quiet, both staring at each other through their screens like a good ol' staring contest. "So you _are_ in love with him," his Grunkle murmured. He heaved a sigh, running a hand through his face. "Tell me Dipper, what is it about him that you like so much?"

Dipper opened his mouth to reply, then closed it shut. Because answering " _Everything,_ " was the most laziest and cliche thing to say. 

His Grunkle laughed almost bitterly at his silence, putting a hand under his chin. "See?" his Grunkle chuckled. "He's _using you,_  Dipper. I don't know exactly how, but he is. Maybe he's doing this for revenge, for the hell of it, or because he's doing something bigger, but he's _not in love with you._ He probably doesn't see you anything more than a pawn in his game."

Dipper's jaw clenched, and a vein popped in his neck. He tried so hard not to snap at his Grunkle, but it was getting very hard with the direction the man was going in. " _Think,_ Dipper. How many times have you passed other guys and girls with a disinterested look? And even if you were into them, you'd just give them a glance and go on your way. And how about Bill?" his Grunkle pushed. Dipper's eyes narrowed. What he said was true, but Dipper didn't really like where this was going.

"Well, I mean- he walked around the Shack shirtless yesterday and I-" Dipper said, trying his hardest to keep his voice steady.

"-and you what? Looked googly-eyed at him? Drooled over his body? Dipper, he's doing this on purpose to get you. You're smarter than this!" his Grunkle scolded. 

"He protected me when _you_ couldn't and he helped me through times that _you_ weren't there for!" Dipper snapped. That caused a snap in his Grunkle. Ford's eyes flashed with hurt before they were quickly replaced by anger. Ford's hands clenched in his lap, and so did Dipper's. Like Grunkle, like grand-nephew. 

"What is so bad about Bill that you have to act like I'm dating a drug dealer?" Dipper asked, his voice lower than usual. 

"Because he's using you," Ford answered, his voice tight.

Dipper looked at his Grunkle in confusion. Then Ford shook his head, tipping his glasses up his nose. "That symbol...that does not happen naturally, Dipper. Who else would cause that car crash?" his Grunkle mumbled.

"Me. I panicked, and I'm not proud of it, okay?" Dipper snapped.

"No," Grunkle Ford whispered, so quietly that Dipper had to lean in to hear, " _think_ , Dipper. Has he said anything to you that confused you?"

That shut him up. He racked his brain for any memories, and came up with some, one after another. His blood ran cold, and his spine straightened. He inhaled sharply, and refused to tear his eyes away from his Grunkle. He was going to win this fight, not his Grunkle.

"He's not...he's not like that," Dipper argued weakly. Pathetic.

His Grunkle chuckled softly. "Bill Cipher is incapable of loving, Dipper. Nor is he able to fall for a human this easily," Ford said, shaking his head. "You have to break up with him. This isn't a suggestion. Get him out of your life _right now._ "

Dipper's jaw unhinged. He took a shaky breath, then another. After he calmed down, he spoke. "Bill lives in the Shack with us," he said, matter-of-factly, "I break up with him, I cause tension."

Grunkle Ford stood up so fast that the video feed barely caught his movements. _"He lives in the Shack?!"_ he screamed, his eyes wide. With fear, Dipper realized.

"Well, yeah, I mean-" Dipper said calmly.

"Out! Get out of that house, right now!" his Grunkle screamed.

"Why-?" Dipper began, his chair screeching back in surprise as Mabel's screen showed his Grunkle pacing around his submarine room like a caged lion. 

"Does Mabel know?" his Grunkle asked, his tone crazed now.

"About Bill, you mean? Yeah, I guess. I mean, she-" Dipper began.

"No. _No!_ Both of you, _out!_ Your Grunkle and I are coming to back to Gravity Falls. Don't-" his Grunkle said, his eyes wide with fear as he looked at Dipper through the screen.

The video was getting choppy. 

"-uck! Fuck!" his Grunkle yelled out in frustration, his voice choppy and distorted. 

"Dip- er!" his Grunkle shouted, making Dipper lean in and play with the laptop to try and get the connection working. "Whatever you do, don't-" the video cut off for a full two seconds, "-you let him in there and he could-" the video's audio was distorted, "-mageddon can't happen aga-" Dipper worked furiously on the keyboard, "-I'll tell you everything when I get there, alright? Don't let your sister t-" Dipper breathed in deep as the video was starting to get cut off, "-ill is not what he seems."

The audio got cut off, leaving Grunkle Ford babbling there with no sound coming out. Dipper clicked furiously, moving the mouse around. But nothing came out, until-

"- _the cave!_ "

And the video was cut off.

Dipper pounded on the keyboard in frustration, slamming the screen down. He let out a strangled noise. What the _hell_ was his Grunkle trying to say? About the cave?

He slammed his forehead to the desk, staying in that position with his shoulders heaving up and down with his breathing. He thought about his Grunkle's words over and over again in his mind, his hands clenched on his lap in anger. What made Ford think that he wasn't smart for dating Bill? What made him think that Bill was going to hurt him out of anger? What made him think that Bill was _evil?_

Dipper breathed in a breath, one after another, even though it was kind of hard with his nose pressed against his desk like that. His arms came up and supported his head, and he rested there, thinking about the argument he just went through.

Though he didn't want to admit it, his Grunkle had a point. He met the guy _a few weeks ago_ and he was already acting like he knew Bill since he was a kid or something. Not only that, he didn't even know Bill's personal life; his parents, his early childhood, his hobbies, and so on. There was an air of masochism and craziness around Bill, traits he was trying hard to avoid, so why was he into Bill?

Dipper's shoulders slumped in defeat. Maybe, just maybe, Bill _was_ trying to manipulate him and-

He let out a squeak as his back collar was pulled back and his chair was rolled forward and turned around.

Dipper's head snapped up in time to meet lips with Bill, who had his hands around Dipper's shoulders to keep him anchored. Dipper quickly kissed back, but not with the same fiery passion the other boy had on his lips.

The brunet was the first one to break the kiss, and he pressed his forehead against the blond. "What's the occasion?" he laughed softly.

"What, can I not greet my Pine Tree with a kiss?" Bill whined. Dipper took Bill's face in his hands and pulled him down, kissing him one last time.

"Greet me with being shirtless and let's see," Dipper mused.

Quietly, and quickly, Bill put his hands down to the hem of his shirt, and Dipper quickly put his hands around Bill's arms, shaking his head with wide eyes. "I was kidding, jeez! Do it another time!" Dipper laughed. Bill's arms hung by his sides in defeat, the blond grinning down at Dipper with a spark in his eyes. Dipper realized with a start that the boy's hands were wrapped in bandages.

"Whoa, what happened?" Dipper asked in concern, taking one of Bill's hands and lifting it up gently. Bill smiled softly at him, taking his hand away from Dipper's grip.

"Nothing to worry about, Pine Tree," Bill drawled, "I was just out boxing."

"Boxing? At ten in the evening?" Dipper asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What? I need practice," Bill said with a shrug. Then he thought for a long while. "Which is why I'm here, actually."

"To...tell me you were boxing?" Dipper said slowly.

"As much as I would like to impress you, no," Bill answered airily, grabbing his arm, "I came up here to make you come down with me. I'm teaching you how to fight."

* * *

"Is the bandages really necessary?" Dipper whined, touching his face with a finger. Then he grimaced when he realized that Bill made him take off his glasses, and dropped his hand to his lap.

"Yes, now hold still, you big baby," Bill huffed.

Bill put a hole through Dipper's thumb, wrapping the bandage around his wrist, then in between his fingers and knuckles, his palm, then anchored his thumb one last time. Bill pulled on the bandage to secure it, and when he was satisfied, put the rest of the wrap on the table. "Flex it for me," Bill commanded. Dipper did as he was asked, and Bill smirked in satisfaction.

He did the other hand, and soon, Dipper's hands were coated in the same bandages as Bill. They were stiff and weird on his hands, but he ignored the uncomfortable feeling so he could satisfy Bill.

The blond boy got up from his kneel across from Dipper, cracking his knuckles in the process. "Tell me again how you basically transformed the living room into a training area," Dipper deadpanned, swiping a hand around the room. There was a punching bag hanging from the ceiling (Dipper didn't question where Bill got it), some pads up on the corner, and some more gadgets for fighting Dipper couldn't name. 

"Shooting Star let me, so-" Bill answered, shrugging his shoulders. Mabel was away at Candy's house for a sleepover with her and Grenda, like old times. She left just fifteen minutes ago, waving goodbye to them with a sleeping bag tucked under her arm. Dipper had no idea how she got to Candy's house without using his car, as it was wrecked from the car crash. They used taxis and Uber drivers the whole time.

"The bigger question is, how did I not hear you setting all this up?" Dipper inquired, punching a wobbly balloon thing weakly. It rocked back slightly, barely tipping.

"I'm the stealth master, Pine Tree," Bill purred, "which is why I'm really good in bed."

Dipper rolled his eyes, watching as Bill walked over to the piled up amount of gimmicks and rummaging through it. "You need boxing gloves. Those bandages won't protect you just like that," Bill told him.

"I thought I was learning self-defense, not boxing?" Dipper asked in confusion. Bill stopped his rummaging. Then he shrugged.

"Eh, good point. No gloves then," he answered.

Bill lifted up his hands to his face and peeled his bandages off, letting the wrap fall to the floor as he finished with each hand. Dipper put a finger on his bandage wraps. "No, not you. Just me," Bill told him without looking back. Dipper put his hands down, letting them hang uselessly at his sides awkwardly. He shifted from foot to foot as Bill kept looking through his things.

Finally, the blond boy found what he wanted and took them out. They were flat, red things, like gloves. But even Dipper knew they were used to be punched against, or kicked, for another person. Bill didn't put them on, and set them on the table, hissing in pain when a loose seam cut him on the knuckle.

Dipper almost snorted in amusement at Bill's hissing, before he noticed large welts and bruises on his boyfriend's knuckles. They were scabbed and red, from days and hours on end of punching things without the boxing gloves on. 

Without thinking, Dipper stepped forward, grabbing one of Bill's wrists daringly and twisting the hand up so he could see. Dipper licked his dry lips, and Bill watched his reaction with a burning gaze. They were worse up close. "What did you do to yourself?" Dipper murmured.

Bill shrugged, but didn't pull away from Dipper's grip like last time. "Sometimes, Hairy Legs didn't have any boxing gloves left so I had fight without them. I like the pain anyway. Just not the scabbing afterwards," Bill said softly, laughing under his breath. Dipper's eyes stayed on his bruised knuckles. He could detect the half-lie in Bill's words.

"What did you do while...I wasn't with you?" Dipper asked as monotone as he could, his throat getting scratchy. His larynx didn't recover well yet.

"I don't know, exactly. Just...wandered around. I went back to the daycare a few times to talk to this guy there, I always came back to the gym to learn some more human fighting skills, I picked some fights-" Bill began, making Dipper's breath hitch. "-and then I always came back to the Shack when I knew you and Shooting Star weren't scheduled to work. I...I always tried to work up the courage to look for you, but I just ended up working," Bill finished, his voice awfully quiet.

"You kept working?" Dipper asked in surprise. He blinked. 

"Of course," Bill told him, "I told you I would. Shooting Star knew, too."

Dipper shook his head, his eyes half-lidded as he kept looking at Bill's scars. Some scabs were deeper than some, and he even saw a cut coming down from the side of his wrist to his thumb. He grimaced, wondering how many times Bill hurt himself over the past few days. "You know, any time a little kid got hurt, they'd always make me kiss it to make them feel better," Bill whispered.

Dipper didn't reply, but instead brought Bill's knuckles closer to his face. He kissed Bill's knuckles softly, feeling the boy's fist clench underneath his lips. Then they unclenched, and Dipper squeezed his wrist reassuringly. He let Bill's hand fall to his side, Bill looking at him with a small smile. "Is that better?" Dipper asked the boy with a strained voice. Bill nodded silently. It reminded Dipper of a spoiled little boy. The thought almost made him break into a grin.

Bill cleared his throat, taking up the gloves from the table. He slipped them on, and led Dipper to a large space on the floor. "Hit it," Bill instructed.

And Dipper did, and Bill grunted.

"Your thumb stays outside your fist, Pine Tree," Bill barked, "again."

Dipper clenched his fists and swung once more, and Bill narrowed his eyes. "Harder. And use your feet, Pine Tree, someone is going to knock you out before you even have the chance to swing," Bill ordered. Dipper's jaw clenched, and he set his feet apart. Suddenly, Bill's sweet personality was replaced by an instructor's hard personality.

He unclenched and clenched his fists a few times before taking a mighty swing, a satisfying sound of his fist hitting a pad filling the air. But Bill's arms barely moved, even with his arms outstretched like that. " _Harder,_ " Bill gritted out.

Dipper scowled. "That's the hardest I can do!" Dipper complained.

"Use your body! By now, you could've been knocked out, or _worst!_ If you don't control yourself, you'll be useless," Bill hissed.

The brunet gritted his teeth, his muscles straining as he clenched his fists harder until even the bandages couldn't stop his nails from digging into his skin. "Right hook," Bill instructed. He knew what that was, thankfully. He saw his Grunkle Stan do it, and his Grunkle even taught him some moves for a while. He did as told, and Bill grunted in approval.

"Jab," Bill deadpanned. Dipper did.

"No, don't do that! _Again,_ " Bill snarled. Dipper's stomach turned as he swung again.

They went on like that for what seemed like hours. Dipper did what he said, Bill criticized. But Dipper let him, because he knew that Bill was just doing this to protect him. But even then, every single insult and criticism that the boy threw at him made him feel weak.

"Goddamn it, Pine Tree! Stop being an idiot and _punch!_ By now, you would've died!" Bill snarled, his eyes no holding the sweetness that they held just a couple minutes ago. 

"I'm sorry, I can't-" Dipper said weakly, lowering his hands.

"Don't lower them, are you fucking stupid? Ugh! We're not leaving here until you learn," Bill snapped, holding up the boxing gloves to his face and gesturing for Dipper to keep punching.

"Bill, I'm tired. Can we please just do this another-" Dipper begged.

" _I don't care!_ And neither do anyone who come out there and hurt you! Again!" Bill snarled, taking a jab at Dipper's shoulder. It happened so fast that Dipper barely had time to react. He cried out in pain, and clamped his mouth shut before Bill could call him an idiot again.

Dipper punched weakly, and that mistake costed him Bill's patience.

Bill dropped the boxing gloves to the ground angrily, his eyes red with rage. "Why the hell are you so useless? What, were you dropped at birth or something?" Bill roared, stalking towards Dipper with his fists clenched at his sides.

Dipper walked backwards, withering under Bill's gaze. "Please, can we just do this later? Bill, I'm tired, I can't-" Dipper stammered.

"Will you _stop_ stuttering for once? You sound like a mule! All you had to do was get up and fight and you can't even do _that!_ " Bill hissed, getting closer and closer to Dipper's frame.

"Bill, I'm sorry, I'll make it up to you, I swear I-" Dipper stuttered.

"Make it up to me by being useful for once," Bill snapped, "all you've done so far was be a thorn at my side, kid. You can't even throw a proper punch! Do you seriously think your mom would be proud of you for this?"

Bill, without thinking, pushed Dipper to the floor with a strong shove.

"This is exactly why I cheated on you, intentionally or not! If you weren't such a disappointment, I would've fought against the love poison harder, but instead you still chose to be a fucking idiot!"

Dipper's chest bubbled up with sobs, and he felt quiet tears stream down his face. They came down one by one, and he didn't even have the strength to wipe them away.

Bill's back was turned to him as he paced, looking at anything and anyone but Dipper. 

Dipper hung his head and whimpered, his tears leaving water droplets on the floor. He placed a hand to cradle it against his chest, as if his heart was more hurt than his knuckles from punching Bill's gloves over and over again.

As soon as he let out a sniffle, Bill turned around.

He saw Dipper crying on the floor, and his angered look dissolved into a look of grief. "Pine Tree-"

He strode forward and knelt beside Dipper, putting his hands on Dipper's shoulders. The brunette refused to look up, his sobs getting louder as Bill held onto him. "Fuck- I didn't mean-" Bill began, his voice coated with panic. Dipper sniffled, his shoulders shaking as he let out a sob. " _Shit-_ Pine Tree, _goddamn it,_ I didn't mean to-"

Dipper squeezed his eyes shut, blocking out Bill as best as he could, screaming at himself for being so stupid, for falling for a guy who could manipulate him and be so- 

" _Dipper._ "

Dipper didn't respond, his bottom lip quivering. A gentle hand left his shoulder to be put underneath his chin, and he was forced to stare into the void of Bill's eyes. His eyes were cold and distant, as always, but there was a touch of grief and heartache. "I didn't know what happened, it  just came out of me," Bill promised quietly. Dipper sniffled, ripping his head away from Bill's gentle fingers. He was lying.

"I was trying to make you mad so you could punch harder, and- and I got stupid and..." Bill stammered.  _Lying, lying, ly-_

"Pine Tree, please," Bill begged, his hands leaving his shoulders to grip the sides of Dipper's face. He used a thumb to wipe his tears away, his face a mirror of distress.

"I didn't want to make you cry, I wasn't- I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it was like someone took my body and forced out those words," Bill said, his words so garbled that it sounded like gibberish. Dipper sniffled, shaking his head, putting his hands on Bill's wrists. He pulled out Bill's wrists, looking at him with a sad look. 

"You meant it, didn't you? If I was better, you could've fought that love poison," Dipper said simply. He didn't even sound distressed. He just... _knew._

"What? No. Please don't think that. I mean- look at Pacifica. She was with Mabel for years and she couldn't fight it. But _jeez,_ kid- if I could, I would've fought it. I wouldn't do anything like that on purpose," Bill murmured. He put his forehead against Dipper's, using a thumb to trace his cheek.

"I didn't mean to say that, Pine Tree. I was just frustrated and it just...came out," Bill told him. 

With their faces this close, Dipper could see the hurt and anger in his eyes. Not anger directed to Dipper, but to himself.

"I'm sorry," Bill whispered. "I'm so sorry." His eyes were a little glassy, but hardened at the same time. Beside him, Bill's arms shook, his breathing ragged and his mouth slightly open like he wanted to speak, to tell Dipper something. And without even speaking those words, Dipper already knew. Bill's eyes were wide, distressed and panicked, and he only saw them like this one before, when Bill watched him walk away in that mansion. 

He was afraid that Dipper was going to leave him again. He was afraid that he was going to lose the only thing he had left. 

So without thinking, Dipper closed the gap between them.

And almost immediately, like Bill was waiting the whole time, Bill's hands wrapped around his waist, pressing them closer together. 

Bill licked his bottom lip, enticing him to open his mouth to let Bill in. But Dipper kept his mouth closed, stubborn to no end. That caused Bill to become a little frustrated, and he bit down on Dipper's bottom lip. 

Dipper still kept it shut.

Bill let out a low growl of frustration, pressing their lips harder together. He broke the kiss this time, looking at Dipper with a fire in his eyes that Dipper had only seen once before. "No one's home except for us," Bill told him slowly and carefully, "I'd ask if you wanted to do it now, but I know your answer."

Dipper laughed softly, kissing his lips softly. "And the answer is yes," Dipper whispered, almost huskily.

Bill's breathing laboured, and his pupils dilated in excitement, despite them being black. He kissed Dipper in a way to stop muffle his excitement, and Dipper laughed in between their kisses. "Is this your first time?" Bill mumbled, bringing his face to Dipper's neck. He sucked on Dipper's pulse, making Dipper clench his fists tightly. He shifted his weight almost uncomfortably, his stomach knotting. He dipped his head down to his chest at Bill's curious question. 

"Yes," Dipper said in shame.

Bill chuckled, his hands traveling down Dipper's stomach. He found Dipper's hands, took them in his, and ripped the bandages off in a quick, fluid motion. "Good."

Dipper watched the blond boy get up, holding a hand out to the brunet still on the floor.

Dipper got up with his help, almost in a dazed state. A voice at the back of his head was yelling at him, shouting things that were too garbled. Something about this not being right, that this was going too fast and Bill literally just called him useless five minutes ago, but frankly, he didn't care. He pushed all of those thoughts away, letting the blond angel take him away.

They walked up the stairs, hand in hand, almost itching to get there. And when they were finally right outside Dipper's door, Bill couldn't help himself. He pushed the brunet against the wall, kissing him roughly on the lips. The motion excited the other.

Dipper broke the kiss, breathless at the sudden attack. "We're- we're not even in the room yet," Dipper reminded him. He was breathless already, and the excitement was already getting to him, hazing his senses. He just wanted Bill all to himself for tonight. Maybe forever. He didn't know anymore. Everything was getting blurry. 

"I don't care. We can do it out here for all I care. I just want you. _Right now,_ " Bill muttered, his hands traveling down Dipper's body mindlessly. His voice sounded husky and so, _so_ possessive. It made the brunet shiver, shuddering at the things Bill could do to him, how it would feel, how close they'd get, and...

"Calm down, Cipher. It's not like- like it's going to b- be as amazing as you'd expect it to be. It never is," Dipper stammered, getting distracted with where Bill's hands were going. Bill chuckled, a deep rumbling noise emitted from the boy's chest. Dipper gulped down the lump in his throat. 

"A challenge. I like it," Bill said, amusement coating his words. His words took on a drawl. "I may not have experience with anyone else, Pine Tree- but I could promise you right now that I know exactly how to make you feel good tonight." His words shot thrill into Dipper's body, the excitement so great that the words screaming  _don't do it_ at him over and over again were completely blocked.

Bill kissed the perfect spot on his neck, a sore spot that made Dipper moan quietly as Bill mixed the feeling in by grinding himself against Dipper's body, their bodies pressed close with heat coating between them. Bill pulled away with a small smack, licking his lips as he looked up at Dipper with a predator's gaze. Dipper shivered, knowing perfectly well that if Bill was a predator, he was the prey. 

"I need to hear that again. Like, right now," Bill breathed, looking up at Dipper. The boy's eyes were blown with lust, arms tensed around Dipper. 

"Then hurry up," Dipper hissed.

Bill grinned, a sparkle in his eyes behind a fire of lust. He pushed Dipper's door open, and pushed Dipper himself inside, walking inside right after. The door closed with no sound other than a dull click. 

"Don't try and get out of this, Pine Tree," Bill mumbled against his neck, already stripping them of their clothes. His fingertips grazed Dipper's shoulder. 

"I don't think I want to," Dipper mumbled back. 

Bill laughed against his neck, pressing them close against the door. "Good."

He locked the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know what you're thinking; "Yooo, their relationship is going a little too fast for just being heartbroken just a day ago 0_o". Welp, to answer that question, their speedy make-up (cough cough) plays a part in the story. And c'mon, don't tell me Bill and Dipper wouldn't be horny after being apart for that long. They make-up quickly, don't they 0_O.
> 
> If you want to read smut about their uh, first official first time, it's in my smut book titled 'Eat My Heart Out' on my account here :3. I don't want to shove smut down your guys' throats all the time, so I put it in a collection. Originally, the smut was on my Tumblr, but my cousin found it and uh- you know. So for those who read it- have fun, and make sure to have holy water handy! :D


	27. Bill's Bucket List of Doom

_"Just one more night, lying in bed_  
_Whether it's wrong or right_  
_Just gotta make sense of it_  
_And you'll be gone in the morning_  
_And you'll be over this_  
_Just one more night, so I can forget_  
_Stay here and lay here_  
_Right in my arms_  
_It's only a moment, before you're gone_  
_And I, am keeping you warm_  
_Just act like you love me, so I can go on."_

**[Act Like You Love Me | Shawn Mendes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idpP3RdKUg8) **

* * *

Dipper woke up that morning with sunlight streaming through his bedroom window.

He cracked open his eye, blinking away sleep with a groan escaping his lips. He felt sore- like, really sore. Everywhere hurt, everything strained and sore like he just ran a marathon and wrestled with a pro-wrestler afterwards. Well, he guessed that's what it's like to have your official first time. It didn't help that his lover was, ah...rougher than intentional. Even though the other was clearly trying to be gentle the night before.

And speaking of his lover...

Dipper put a hand over his shoulder in pain, rolling it to massage the spot there. It popped and cracked, and he tried to get up to dress up for the day. But, to his utter surprise, he felt restricted. Like as if someone put a seat belt over him, he was pulled back down to the bed. 

He huffed, squirming on the bed. Seriously?

Someone mumbled incoherent words softly behind him, causing his brow to furrow in confusion. He pulled against his restraints he couldn't see once more, being sucked back into the bed like a suction cup. The same person whimpered, a voice of sorrow and need, like a puppy being abandoned at a highway by a careless owner.

Dipper's shoulders drooped as Bill pressed him closer to his chest, the blond boy's arms holding tightly around Dipper like he was afraid that if he let go, Dipper would leave him. 

Dipper breathed in, then out. Bill's breathing synchronized with his in a span of five seconds, making Dipper wonder if he should even get out of this bed. His lover was holding onto him so tightly, he couldn't even move if he tried anyway. Bill's head suddenly dipped, burying into Dipper's shoulder. The brunet tensed, feeling his pulse quicken at the movement. Even after everything they went through, making out for god knows how many times, having formal sex for the first time ever, something as small as Bill burying his head into his neck made him _crazy._

"Bill," Dipper croaked out.

The boy snored softly, making Dipper huff in irritation. Bill was asleep. 

Dipper squirmed, kicking his bare feet around in frustration. But the boy wouldn't wake up, nor would he let go of him to let him use the bathroom. Every time Dipper tried to move, Bill held on tighter. It was like being the prey of a snake, but in this case, the prey of a young man named Bill Cipher. Bill's knee dug into his lower back deeper and deeper as Dipper squirmed, the hard capped-knee almost painful there. 

And, realizing with a gasp almost escaping his lips, that wasn't a knee at all. Well, for once, they were naked, and secondly;

_Why was Bill so hard?_

Dipper, overcome by shock, kicked his feet, a real gasp escaping his lips. There was an audible thud as a body was dropped to the floor. Dipper was finally freed by the snake, sitting up on his bed with a thumping heart.

"Wha- whuzhappenin'?" Bill slurred, sitting up from the bed with a hand over his head.

"Bill!" Dipper screamed, clapping a hand over his face. 

He heard the boy go quiet, before a shuffling sound filled the air and the boy let out a hearty laugh. He just assumed that Bill got off the floor and realized that they were both naked. "We just had sex, Pine Tree," Bill drawled, "a very intense one at that. And you're suddenly flustered at seeing me _naked?"_

"N- not that!" Dipper screeched, his face flaring up. "Wh- why are you- why are you so- Christ, Bill!"

"Hard?" Bill suggested, laughing right afterwards when Dipper nodded his head vigorously. Dipper, with a reluctant shaking hand, let it down, looking at Bill with a violated look. "It's morning wood, Pine Tree," Bill purred, "look, if it makes you feel better, I'll go dress up. Will that make you feel better?"

Dipper let out a sound of agreement, and Bill laughed. He winked, pointing a finger gun at him and letting a click of a tongue as he pulled the trigger of his finger gun. He pivoted around, opening Dipper's door and parading out with his naked body displayed.

Dipper had never felt so violated in his entire life.

He put a hand over his racing heart, breathing in and out through his mouth. And, feeling fabric on his chest instead of bare skin, moved his hand around in confusion. The fabric was still there. He looked down, pulling out a stretchable white tee with a hand. It came down to his thighs, hiding his private parts efficiently. It was Bill's shirt. An over-sized one at that.

He let through a small smile, rubbing the fabric over his thumb. His eyes flickered up, waiting for Bill to come back and explain why his shirt was on him instead, but when the blond boy never came back, he helped himself to sniffing the shirt. It smelled so much like him, so familiar and comforting that Dipper almost shivered. 

The door to his room opened with a shudder, and Dipper dropped his hands to his lap almost immediately. "So, Pine Tree, how do you like my shirt?"

Dipper scowled, crossed his arms over his chest like a little kid. Bill clicked his tongue, a smirk playing on his lips. When Dipper saw what he was wearing, he almost lashed out. Bill was wearing his flannel. 

"Why are you-?" Dipper began.

"-wearing your flannel? You have my shirt, so why not?" Bill retorted, buttoning up the last of the buttons on Dipper's flannel. Dipper watched with a scowl. But, he had to admit that Bill looked good in it. He could rock his flannel more than Dipper himself.

"Fine, do you want it back?" Dipper asked, irritated. He hoped that Bill knew that most of his flannels haven't been washed since the beginning of the summer. 

"No," Bill replied, tugging on the sleeves, "I actually want you to wear my suit vest."

"Your suit ve- what?" Dipper said in surprise.

"My suit vest," the blond boy said again. He gave Dipper an amused look, one that kind of got the brunet nervous. It was a look that meant he had something planned. "You really got to start wearing something else other than this damn thing, Pine Tree," Bill scolded, pulling at the flannel. Dipper glowered.

"It's comfortable," he grumbled.

"And suit vests make you look like a proper gentleman. Now go change before I change my mind," Bill told him, beckoning him to get up from the bed. Dipper stayed put on the bed, making Bill incline his head to the side. "Pine Tree," Bill spoke, his eyes flashing with frustration, "get up."

Dipper's eyebrows rose slowly. "No."

"You're not making this any easier for me, Darling."

"Exactly."

Bill huffed, making one corner of Dipper's lips twitch in victory. When the blond boy saw his twitching lips, he automatically scowled. Always the melodramatic one. Well, Dipper was technically being dramatic too.

" _Pine Tree_ ," Bill whined. 

" _Babe_ ," Dipper whined. Oh. Well. That was a mistake.

Bill's eyes flashed with an emotion he was _very, very_ familiar with. Lust. And they were dilated, full of it. Dipper shifted on the bed uncomfortably. Bill's hands twitched, a smirk blossoming on his lips. "Uh, Bill, you're kind of sca-" Dipper began uncomfortably.

And before Dipper could even blink, he was pinned back against the bed, his hands over his head as Bill stared down at him with a smirk. "I told you not to make this hard for me, Darling," Bill told him, an accusation in his tone. Dipper gulped. 

"Sorry," he squeaked. Bill let a laugh escape from his lips. Dipper, with the position he was in, was looking straight at Bill's chest. He flushed with embarrassment, and tried to look away from the boy's chest before realizing that there was no way out. "Bill, what are you-?" 

The bed creaked as Bill ran a hand over Dipper's chest, the boy's weight shifting as he tried to find a comfortable spot around Dipper. "I'm still...what's the word you guys call it?" Bill mumbled. Dipper laughed, bringing Bill's face down to touch foreheads. He kept forgetting that this idiot was German.

"Horny. You're horny," Dipper informed him.

"That's the word!" Bill exclaimed, giving Dipper a sideways grin. He bent down further to kiss his Pine Tree on the lips, but Dipper pushed away with a kind laugh. 

"We need to brush our teeth first, you big idiot," Dipper told him. Bill grumbled under his breath, burying his face in Dipper's neck. He breathed in, his posture visibly relaxing. Dipper didn't have the strength to stop him, nor did he want him to stop. Dipper's hands found his way around Bill's broad back and gripped there, his nails digging in. Thankfully, Bill didn't react.

"We don't need to brush our teeth to have sex, do we?" Bill asked him quietly. He sounded like he was teasing Dipper, but hey, Bill was a hard one to judge. 

"We just did it last night," Dipper mumbled. He squirmed under Bill's sudden pressure between his legs. His stomach fluttered with excitement, but he pushed it down with a reluctant gulp.

"So? I wouldn't mind doing it every morning with you," Bill said boldly, leaving a fluttering kiss on his neck. It made a noise that made Dipper almost pant out. 

"Bill- stop- Mabel's coming ho-" Dipper stuttered. 

"Oh, calm down, Pine Tree. We'll hear her open the door. And besides," Bill assured him, lips brushing lightly against his neck, "I can tell you're excited too."

Dipper scowled, removing his arms from Bill's back to press them against his chest. He tried to push the idiot away, but Bill stood his ground, nipping at his neck with his teeth gently. Dipper bit back a moan. "I change my mind. We're not doing it now," Bill told him, his lips barely brushing against Dipper's bruised skin.

"What? Why?" he asked sharply. The blond boy laughed at the irony of the situation.

"First I wanted it, you didn't, now you want it, and now I don't," Bill chuckled.

"It's hard to ignore having someone nip at your neck like that, you know," Dipper snapped.

"Okay, okay. Do you want me to continue?" Bill asked into his neck.

"Obviously," Dipper huffed. Bill didn't respond, pressing his lips to his skin and sucking the spot there. Dipper shivered in delight, his hands holding onto Bill's white shirt underneath his own flannel. It scared Dipper how good Bill was at this- no bruises and hickies were ever evident on his skin. "H- how do you do that?" Dipper panted.

"Do what?" Bill mumbled, nipping at his shoulder.

"Not leave marks on my skin," Dipper told him. Bill hummed.

"Why? Do you want me to-?" Bill began.

"God no," Dipper cut off. The blond boy laughed. Suddenly, the hands around Dipper's hips were secured until he couldn't move. "Bill, what-" Dipper gasped. 

Bill sucked harder on his skin, using his teeth to nibble at some spots mercilessly. Dipper let out a soft moan. "Don't- Bill- _please,_ " Dipper begged. A moment later, a moment of pure bliss, and Bill sucked on his neck one last time before releasing with an audible _pop_. He looked up at Dipper with a victorious smirk, and Dipper felt his stomach drop.

"I told you not to test me, Pine Tree," Bill growled, getting off the bed with a single hop.

Dipper's hand flew over to the spot his lover kissed, and felt a bruise breaking out at the base. Not only that, _but it was huge._ "Bill!" Dipper complained, his head resting back against his pillow.

"Aren't you going to get up?" Bill asked innocently. Dipper looked through his hooded lids with a scowl.

"What the hell _for?_ You just gave me a huge ass hickey! Jeez, how the hell am I going to explain this to Mabel?!" Dipper groaned.

"Oh come on, Pine Tree, it's not that bad," Bill told him, trying to soothe his boyfriend, "it'll just tell everyone you belong to me."

"You sound so goddamn possessive," Dipper grumbled, rubbing his neck gingerly. 

"Pine Tree," Bill suddenly said, "just get up. Please?"

Bill Cipher _never_ begged this easily. As soon as the word 'please' left his mouth, Dipper sat up with an alarmed look. "What? What did you do? Rob a store? Kick a kid in the face? Holy hell, what happened?" Dipper babbled. Bill laughed at his alarm.

"Nothing serious, my love," Bill purred, kissing his cheek lovingly. The blond boy went over to Dipper's desk, shuffling through papers like a college professor. Dipper's face flared up at Bill's new nickname for him, but the other didn't seem to mind it even a tiny bit.

"I made us a bucket list to fulfill," Bill answered, proud of his work. 

"A bucket list?" Dipper echoed, frowning to himself. He sat up straighter on the bed, putting his feet down on the cold hard, wood floor. He pulled down Bill's shirt further down his legs to keep himself warm. "I can already tell this isn't a good idea, Bill."

"Aw, stop being a party pooper! I stayed up all night writing it!" the boy whined, making Dipper look up at him in curiosity.

"But you just-" Dipper began.

"I put my shirt on you when you shivered in the middle of the night. I came back to bed at five," Bill interrupted, waving a hand at him in dismissal.

"Five? Bill, it's eight in the-" 

"-morning, I know. Yeesh, kid. Us Germans don't sleep for more than four hours a night, you know. I'll be fine," Bill assured him, turning around with a grin. A messy pile of papers was clutched in one hand, and he unfolded it with a dramatic loll of the tongue. He coughed dramatically, making Dipper roll his eyes. "Number one," he began. _Oh lord,_ Dipper thought. 

"Rule the world. Number two; but with my love. Number three; go on a picnic and make flower crowns. Number four; duet on the piano- ahem, and teach Pine Tree if he doesn't know how. Number five; bake a cake without killing Pine Tree. Number six; paint ball war without Pine Tree killing me. Number seven; go on-"

"Dude, what the hell! How many things do you even _have_  on that list?" Dipper groaned, massaging his forehead with the base of his palms.

"Hmm...about one hundred and seventy-five," Bill chirped, looking through his list. "And on second thought, Love, I probably should keep most of the things we're doing a surprise," Bill told him again with a thoughtful look on his face as he tapped his chin. He even stuck out his tongue to the side, lolling his head and looking dangerously cute. Dipper's face flared at the thought, and he forced himself to speak and convince the dorky idiot to stop with his dorkier plans. 

"How are we going to do one hundred and seventy-five things in _one day_?" Dipper hissed.

"Easy! We do it in the span of a week!" Bill laughed. Dipper groaned.

"I hate you," Dipper grumbled.

"No, you love me," Bill retorted.

"Not quite, Cipher."

"Oh, but you will soon."

"Unlikely."

"But plausible."

"Swallow up your damn pride, Bill."

"Oh, I'll swallow..." Bill purred flirtatiously. 

Dipper threw a pillow at Bill's face, but the boy merely stepped aside with a chuckle. "Go change, Pine Tree. Then I'll meet you downstairs," Bill told him. Without a second glance, Bill left his room.

Dipper huffed out a frustrated breath, standing up from his seat on the edge of his bed. His legs felt like jelly as he walked over to his dresser, having to hold onto the edge of the cabinet in order to stay upright. He opened the first notch, and almost cursed under his breath. None of his flannels were there, but a lone yellow suit vest with a matching tie. Black slacks, some socks, and his shoes (who puts shoes inside a dresser?) were inside as well, along with a small note that was signed by Bill with a heart beside it. The boy's handwriting got a little better over the weeks, but it was still hard to read. Dipper pinched the bridge of his nose as he read it.

_Pine Tree,_

_Wear them to the picnic. We're making flower crowns. Thanks. Remember, reality is an illusion, the universe is a hologram, but that booty is hella real! (I stole that one from Mabel, say thank you to her for me!!!)_

_~The boy of your dreams_

_That's me, Bill Cipher, in case you didn't catch the memo._

Dipper cringed, crumpling up the paper in his fist and throwing it into the trash can in his room. Well, he had no other choice, did he? It kind of freaked him out that for once, Bill didn't use all capitals. That was a sign that Bill really wanted this. 

He put on the vest and slacks begrudgingly, grumbling under his breath on how bad it'll look on him. After all, the only time he ever wore something formal was at Pacifica's party, and that night didn't turn out well. The slacks were the perfect fit for him, and the vest was surprisingly loose around his mid-section. He buttoned up the vest, rolling up the white sleeves to his elbows. He cuffed up the sleeves, running his hands over his scar on his forearm. Dipper picked up a comb and ran it through his hair once, just so Bill wouldn't nag him for being so informal.

He brushed his teeth, shaved, put on his shoes, and walked downstairs expecting Bill on the couch eating something from the fridge.

But Bill wasn't in the living room. 

Dipper grunted. "Bill?" he called out, hopping down the last step on the stairs. He cursed under his breath when he twisted his ankle, hopping on it with a grimace. He looked around, waiting for the blond boy to pop up and scare him with a mask. But that thankfully didn't happen, and Dipper was left wondering what the hell was going on. 

His foot hit on something on the ground, and he cringed, hearing a dull echo sound through the living room. He could tell it wasn't the coffee table as per usual, as the pain wasn't as much as hitting wood. Instead, it felt as if he hit something hollow. Dipper looked down, and found a small box set in the middle of the wooden floor. The box was just around the same width as his forearm. Not only that, but the box had his name written at the top with loopy handwriting; 'To Dipper Pines'. 

Curious, as always, Dipper crouched down to a knee, ripping open the box with his nails. The box opened with a satisfying rip, and Dipper dug in. He pulled out a thin piece of paper, a letter directed to himself. But it wasn't signed, and the writing was flawless and loopy, like some sophisticated douche from the edge of the town. Dipper rolled his eyes, digging his arm back into the box. He didn't care if he got paper cuts.

One after another, a love letter after a lover letter. Some were poems, some were short, and some were written longer than Dipper's essays in High School, which was speaking a lot. All of them were looped handwritten, and they all smelled like perfume, making Dipper cough when he put his nose too close to the box.

Getting enough of the anonymous handwritten letters, and knowing perfectly well that Bill was going to go crazy when he found out about them, Dipper closed up the box and stood up. He walked over to the trash can in the kitchen and opened it up with the pedal on the bottom of the tin can, dumping the contents of the box into it as the box itself didn't fit. The papers fluttered inside, cluttering to the bottom of the tin can along with the rotten food Mabel forgot to throw out.

_"What the hell do you think you're doing?"_

Dipper's head snapped up, seeing Bill stand in the middle of the kitchen with his flannel on, his arms crossed over his chest with a scowl on his face. "Throwing these cheesy anonymous love letters in the trash. Wanna help?" Dipper asked breezily, shaking the box. More came out, and maybe it was just him, but he thought he saw Bill flinch with a hurt look flashing over his face for a millisecond. 

"Don't you think that's a little cruel?" Bill asked dryly.

"Well, aren't you a ray of sunshine? I get them from fans of my monster-hunting sometimes, but this is just- ugh. Seriously, when you write a love letter, at least don't make it cheesy, right?" Dipper chuckled, shaking the last of the love letters into the trash can. He put his foot out of the pedal, and the trash can closed with a pang of tin hitting tin. He placed the box next to the cylinder, turning around to face Bill.

But to his utter surprise, the charismatic bastard was looking at him with a glower on his face. His crossed arms were tight, and his hands were balled up. "Why the hell do you look so angry?" Dipper snorted, "it's not like you wrote them."

"I did," Bill answered dryly.

Dipper's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wha- what?" Dipper stammered.

"Every single letter. I wrote them all," Bill told him with a shrug. Dipper's mouth unhinged, and he was left there with no words, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to speak. But the blond boy lost his patience, and Bill turned around, his tense back facing Dipper.

"Bill, I didn't-" Dipper croaked out.

"You didn't know, blah blah blah. Doesn't matter, kid. Let's just...go, okay?" Bill mumbled, looking over his shoulder. Dipper was glued to the spot, watching Bill with a shocked look. He could tell his boyfriend was trying his hardest not to seem as if he cared, but his tense posture and clipped words gave him away. He definitely didn't seem nonchalant, and Dipper cringed back. 

"Bill, I can tell you're lying. Your handwriting- it isn't-" 

"I faked my bad handwriting to catch you off guard, Pine Tree. I practiced writing with Shooting Star before. I wanted to..." Bill strained out. With a shake of a head, he drooped his head back forward. "Come on, hopefully you wouldn't throw the food out," Bill laughed.

Dipper snapped his mouth shut, striding forward until he caught Bill's hand. He pulled the idiot around until they were face to face, and Dipper couldn't help but feel flustered with how tall Bill was compared to him. Bill had to look down, and Dipper had to tilt his head up. "You cheesy idiot," Dipper scolded.

Bill grinned down at him, the spark coming back alive in his eyes. "But I'm _your_ cheesy idiot, is that not correct?" Bill tutted. Dipper smacked his palm in his face, and Bill was reeled back with a laugh. 

"How the hell did you even find the time to write all of those?" Dipper groaned, rubbing his own face with a hand. He left his glasses upstairs, and he was suddenly glad. He needed free reign of face-palming today.

"I had over nine hours to do all that, Pine Tree. Plus, I made a bucket list and some more preparation," Bill chirped, jutting out his elbow like a gentleman.

"What? Too much?" Bill laughed when Dipper scowled. Dipper rolled his eyes, taking his elbow instead of complaining. He could tell the guy was trying his hardest to please him here, and he found it a little adorable. Adorable, but odd.

"Where are we going?" Dipper inquired, watching as Bill led him out of the kitchen and into the back door. He closed the door behind them, leading his Pine Tree through the small clearing at the back of the house.

"A picnic sight. I made you breakfast," Bill explained, helping Dipper step through a log even though Dipper told him over and over that he was alright. Bill's words sunk in, and Dipper felt a stab of regret through his stomach.

"You...made breakfast? When did you-?" Dipper asked in disbelief. 

"Calm yourself, Pine Tree. I made at five AM before I went to sleep. It should still be hot, I put a s- I mean, I contained it. I even went out and got us some greenery and flowers for our flower crowns!"

Dipper chewed on his bottom lip, letting Bill drag him away to wherever. _Flower crowns?_ Dipper thought in disbelief. If this was the sane idea Bill had on his bucket list, Dipper was afraid. 

* * *

Dipper wove in another flower in between the greenery in his crown, cursing under his breath when the flower snapped off.

"Aw, don't look so glum, Pine Tree. You'll get it soon," Bill assured him, his eyes never leaving the perfectly intact crown on his lap. In fact, there were four other crowns beside Bill, all woven to look wonderful in five million different ways. One was a blue-themed crown, another was yellow, a third was green, and the fourth was well, multi-coloured. They all looked wonderful either way. But Dipper's?

He couldn't even make his first one without a single flower falling apart.

"How the hell do you keep doing that?" Dipper growled, tossing the crown to the picnic blanket as he reached over for another bundle of flowers. Bill laughed at his frustration.

"Stop knotting them so tightly, Pine Tree. For God's sake, you can't do that one simple thing?" Bill chuckled.

"Shut up," Dipper grumbled.

He took up a white daisy, inspecting it for a moment before lifting up his empty crown and taking some tape from the tape dispenser. He put the daisy's stem around the crown, weaving it as softly as he can. His head slanted to the side slightly as his eyebrows knitted together in concentration, placing the tape around the stem as carefully as he can. Slowly, he let go of the tape, sliding the tape over his thumb to make sure it stayed before he did so. The stem and flower stayed on. Dipper grinned in satisfaction.

"I told you that you'd get it," Bill told him, grinning when his eyes found Dipper's flower.

"Remind me again why I agreed to do this," Dipper mumbled under his breath.

"Oh, that's easy. I promised you that after this, we would-" Bill hummed.

"Okay, okay!" Dipper interrupted, his face pink and warm. Bill laughed under his breath.

They worked in silence, the only sounds being the whistling wind and the tape dispenser being pulled out as one of them took some tape. In a way, it was relaxing, and Dipper didn't want it any other way.

Before hand, Dipper and Bill ate. It was a five-course meal that made Dipper full, and Bill extremely happy to see so. There were eggs, bacon, pancakes, omelettes, fried rice, and even fine wine (which Dipper didn't complain about). They ate it all, the both of them cheesily feeding each other to Bill's suggestion, as Bill said that it'll help them build their trust for each other (Though Dipper just wanted to). They laughed as some bacon were bitten off from a raised fork, or when syrup stuck to their upper lip. At one point they had a small food fight, throwing pancakes and bacon at each others' faces. And of course, they kissed when they saw fit, or to use as a distraction to take the food off each others' plates.

After Dipper asked over and over, and with threatening that finally made Bill crack, Bill told him that he called up Mabel over the phone to help him with cooking. "She was a little distant, but probably because it was four in the morning when I called. She kept yawning and asking me if I was finished," Bill told him when he was explaining. Bill looked a little embarrassed when he told Dipper, but Dipper found it sweet that Bill would give up his pride and ask for help, something Bill Cipher would _never_ do _._ He rewarded the blond boy with a soft kiss on the nose, a pleasant surprise on Bill's end.

"Hey, Pine Tree," Bill drawled. Dipper looked up. "Are you gold? Because I'd _so_ buy you."

Dipper's nose wrinkled. His eyes came back down to his flower crown. "Really? Now?" Dipper asked him in disbelief.

"What? It's on my bucket list! 'Have a pick-up line war with Pine Tree'," Bill told him, taking out the crumpled papers out of his pocket to show Dipper.

"Bill, no matter how hard you try, I'm not going to have a pick-up line war with you," Dipper sighed tiredly. 

"Let's get illuminaughty, Pine Tree," Bill purred, leaning in from across Dipper. Dipper ignored him.

Bill huffed out a breath. "Okay, fine, be like that."

Bill was quiet for a while, before a sudden idea seemed to have crossed his mind, his smirk coming back to his lips. "Hey, Pine Tree-!" he sang out. 

"What. _Now?"_ Dipper gritted out. 

"Pine Tree, Pine Tree, Pine Tree, Pine Tree-!"

 _"What?!"_ Dipper shouted, throwing his crown to his lap in frustration. Bill laughed joyfully, his nimble fingers still on his crown.

"Do you know where the real demon is?" Bill asked him curiously. 

"Uh...?" 

"It's in my pants!"

Dipper smacked his forehead with his palm as Bill began to blow up into fits of laughter. "Okay, okay, I got another one!" Bill said in between his wheezing breaths.

"Bill, don't you _dare_ -" Dipper warned.

"Are we in a forest? Because I'm surely looking at a _fine_ tree," Bill asked huskily.

"Bill-"

"Kiss me if I'm wrong, but this the universe isn't a hologram, right?"

"Wha-?"

"Are you a ninety degree angle? Because you're looking right for me!"

"That's honestly the wor-"

"Aside from being sexy, what do you do for a living?"

"Working and trying to get away from a blond kid named Bill Cipher," Dipper answered dryly. That made Bill's grin widen.

"Darling, you remind me of my pinkie toe. Little, cute, and I'll probably bang you on the coffee table later tonight."

"Bill, oh my God-"

"I'm no weatherman, but you should be expecting a few inches tonight."

"Yeah, like two inches."

"I could make you the happiest man alive if I tried."

"Why? Are you finally leaving?"

"Where have you been all my life?"

"Hiding from you."

"You'd look adorable grasping the sheets on my bed."

"No matter how much you compliment me, I'm not making your bed," Dipper sniffed inconsiderately. 

"Jeez, Pine Tree. Such a pick-up line killer," Bill told him. But he didn't seem angry, but seemed more amused than anything. Bill fished out the papers from his pocket and checked something off with a small pen, putting both items back into his pocket right after. "Not what I expected, but I love a good surprise," Bill drawled, placing his finished crown on the ground. The red blanket under them wrinkled as Bill shifted his weight.

"You made five crowns. Don't you think that's enough?" Dipper asked, his eyes on the eighth flower. He wove it around the first one to make a pattern, and he cursed when the flower flopped to the ground.

"No, I need ten," Bill insisted.

"What? Why?" Dipper asked with a frown.

Bill didn't respond, but instead took up another wire frame, bending it to make a semi-circle. He placed some more greenery to make the base, and Dipper sighed through his nose, coming back to his own crown. 

But to his utter surprise, Bill stood up, came around behind him, plopped down right behind him, and wrapped his arms around Dipper. His legs were right next to his, and they were mushed together. Bill's crown was abandoned at Bill's old spot, and Dipper looked behind to Bill in confusion. "What?" he laughed. Bill shushed him, putting his soft hands over Dipper's. He moved Dipper's hands so the crown was flipped, and he began tying up the end of the wire tightly.

"You didn't tie it enough," Bill told him patiently. It awed Dipper that Bill's hands were still soft and cool to the touch, despite the boy always picking fights and punching things for his free time.

Dipper swallowed, and Bill's hands gripped his tighter, moving them across the crown to flatten the tape and the flowers. The tape was no longer visible to the eye, and Dipper looked down at his crown in wonder. "Did I ever tell you that you look incredibly cute when you look at something like that?" Bill laughed softly.

"Look at something like what?" Dipper asked, his face flushing in embarrassment. He wasn't _cute!_

"Like- well, _that._ In wonder. You always act like you know everything and here you are, looking down at something with this cute little pout and your eyebrows pulled together in concentration. I call it your nerd face," Bill told him proudly.

"My nerd face? Really?" Dipper snorted. Bill didn't respond.

He instead let go of Dipper's hands to take up some flowers piled up beside them, putting a violet one around a white daisy. His hands came back on top of Dipper's, and he helped Dipper weave it in. They worked in silence, and Dipper couldn't help but shiver in delight. Not because of the blowing wind that passed once in a while, but because of the hot breath that tickled his ear as Bill leaned in to help him. 

"You look at me like that sometimes," Bill muttered. 

"I- I do?" Dipper asked timidly. Bill's head rested on his shoulder, and Dipper had to fight the urge to scrunch up his shoulders in a ticklish matter. His face reddened in embarrassment, and Bill didn't make a sound, his thumbs tracing the base of Dipper's hands. 

"It makes me crazy sometimes," Bill admitted, "when you look at me like that, it makes me feel like you actually want me for once and..."

"Want you? You do know that I _always_ want you, right?" Dipper told him, his brow knitting together in confusion. He craned his neck around to meet Bill's spaced out look.

"You do?" Bill asked in surprise.

"Duh. What did you think, that I'm just playing around with you?" Dipper laughed, reaching over and bopping his nose with a fingertip. Bill's nose wrinkled adorably.

"I thought it was just a lust thing, you know? I mean, I don't really know much about love, but I do know about lust. It's everywhere, Pine Tree. Media, magazines, television, _everywhere._ And it scares me that one day I'll find out that one of us were just _lusting_ this whole time and-"

"Shut up," Dipper said, his voice oddly strained. Bill shut his mouth in confusion. Dipper felt tears spring into his eye, and he blinked them away. "Just... _shut up_."

Bill breathed in, letting loose a long breath through his nose. "Was it something I said?" Bill asked in confusion when he saw the redness in Dipper's working eye. Dipper sniffled, and Bill sat up in alarm. "Whoa, Pine Tree- what-?" 

"Just _shut up!"_ Dipper shouted angrily, whirling around to meet Bill, his flower crown falling to the floor in between his legs. " _Shut up, shut up, SHUT. UP!_ You don't just- _don't do that."_ He was shaking, and he knew he looked like a fool for making a big deal out of this. But he didn't care. 

"What did I-?" Bill asked in alarm. Dipper sniffled, a single tear coming down his face. Bill's eyes widened, and he leaned forward, wiping the tear away from Dipper's face. He swallowed, looking at Dipper in confusion and surprise. "Why are you crying? Stop it," Bill scolded.

"Why? Am I not allowed to cry anymore?" Dipper snapped.

"No, no, of course not," Bill quickly said, "it's just- it scares me when you're crying like this, Pine Tree. Did I...do something?"

Dipper swallowed, breathing in a shaky breath. Bill rubbed circles on the back of his hand, and his other hand caressed his cheek, watching him intently with a look of sadness. "You're scaring me," Dipper admitted quietly. Even the words sounded childish to him. Bill frowned.

"What?" he whispered.

"It's an irrational fear of mine, okay? That I'd fall in love with someone who was using me this whole time, and that they just wanted lust, not love, and-" Dipper babbled. Bill's hand tightened around his. "I gave _you_ something that I didn't think through, and now- now  _I'm scared, Bill._ I- I don't want to be broken again, I d- don't-" Dipper stammered. Bill kissed him softly, on the lips, shutting him up immediately.

"Yeesh, kid. If you were so worried, you could've told me. I would've waited," Bill said sadly, pressing his forehead against his.

"I thought you'd get mad at me," Dipper admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Mad at you? For what? Your first time should be something you have control over, not me," Bill told him. Dipper whimpered. _There's more, Bill. You wouldn't understand,_ Dipper wanted to say. But his mouth felt glued shut.

The nightmares when Bill was gone. The feeling that Bill wasn't as he seemed every single time Bill was around. Grunkle Ford's words.

_The nightmares._

"How about we go back to flower crown making, huh? Let's take your mind off this. You make me five more flower crowns and we'll go somewhere else tomorrow. My treat," Bill told him, kissing his cheek.

"Tomorrow? Why tomorrow?" Dipper asked in curiosity.

"It's four in the afternoon," Bill said simply.

"What?! B- but the Shack, and-!" 

"Wendy's in charge for the whole week," Bill told him.

"Whole week?! Bill, what the hell did you-?!" Dipper screeched. Bill shushed him.

"Jeez, have faith in me, kid. You're taking this whole week off, you hear me? You're getting stressed. Wendy's okay with it, and I know Miss Redhead can take care of everything," Bill assured him. His lips traveled down Dipper's neck, kissing the recent love bite there. Dipper shivered, his hands clawing into the blanket.

"I'll be your stress reliever," Bill whispered in his ear. 

"C- can we at least do this somewhere more private?" Dipper asked him, squirming under his touch. Bill's hands found his way around his hips. Dipper scowled. Horny bastard.

Bill's lips suddenly started to suck on his pulse, and Dipper moaned. He clamped a hand over his mouth in embarrassment. "What did I just tell you last night, Pine Tree? Don't keep 'em in," Bill scolded him, his jaw grazing Dipper's collarbone. He just knew exactly how to drive the boy nuts and Dipper didn't know whether he should be thankful or frustrated by that. 

"Bill, stop," Dipper hissed, feeling the pressure build up in his pants. He squirmed harder.

His phone rang.

Bill's mouth left around his neck, sitting up in surprise and grumpiness. Dipper scrambled for the phone. "Who is it?" Bill asked, a slight edge of annoyance to his voice. Dipper frowned at the caller ID.

"It's Mabel. I think she wants us back home," Dipper informed the annoyed boy. Bill grunted.

"We'll go home later. We have some flower making to do, Pine Tree," Bill reminded him. 

"Yeah, but Mabel-"

"Would you rather do work, or do me?"

Dipper's face flushed in embarrassment. "Turn off your phone. Nothing bad is going to happen. Trust me," Bill told him. Dipper hesitated over the end call button. And with an irritated sigh, he pressed it. He muted his phone, and placed it next to him. Bill hummed in satisfaction.

"Now, where were we?" Bill asked huskily.

"Making flower crowns?" Dipper replied in hope.

"Not quite, Pine Tree," Bill laughed. He attacked Dipper to the blanket, kissing him roughly on the lips and brought Dipper's arms over his head. He entwined the brunet's fingers with his, curling them and holding them tight before he pulled away, looking at Dipper with a small smirk at the corner of his lips.

"I have a surprise for you tomorrow," Bill grinned.

"I'm continuously scared and excited," Dipper answered dryly.

"That's understandable," Bill agreed. The blond attacked him again, peppering him with kisses as the brunet giggled beneath him, torn between pushing him away and letting him continue. They were lost in each others' touches, none noticing the sun quietly shadowing their spot. 

His phone rang silently eight times, before the ninth call was abruptly stopped.

All of them from a Shooting Star.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the fluff train 101, where we'll be on for three chapters or so! :3 But seriously, I don't add fluff for nothing, that's not how I roll lol. The fluff reasoning will be revealed after this phase, aaand you all might hate me. :D


	28. "Plan B, Pine Tree- we're going to die."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I scared you with that title didn't I? :D

_"Compass points you home,_  
_Calling out from the east_  
_Compass points you anywhere, closer to me_  
_If we make it out alive from the depths of the sea_  
_Compass points you anywhere, closer to me_  
_Where you are, I will be_  
_Miles high, in the deep_  
_Where you are, I will be_  
_Anywhere, in between_  
_I will take the pieces, put them back together_  
_Even when the grass isn't green enough_  
_Taking all the branches, build ourselves a mansion_  
_Love you in the way that you needed love."_

**[Compass | Zella Day](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR6Mf8LVQMc) **

* * *

"Goddamn it, Mabel," Dipper grumbled under his breath.

He held up another baby-blue sweater, wrinkling his nose at the text. A cheesy punchline later, and Dipper set the sweater down to his lap with a sigh. Grenda came in to deliver a whole box of sweaters Mabel knitted at their sleepover, saying that Mabel wasn't coming home for a while for more 'girl bonding time'. Dipper asked why, of course, but the tomboy merely shrugged and walked away. Mabel didn't come back for two days.

Looking at the sweaters, Dipper wondered if Mabel just wanted to stay over at Grenda's to piss him off. Probably to get back for him missing her calls.

He folded the sweater hurriedly, putting it beside him. He was planning to throw them out, but he vaguely wondered if Mabel was going to kill him if he did. Meh. He'll just ask Bill what to do with them when he woke up.

A snort filled the air, and Dipper snapped his head up in surprise. Across from him was Bill, an arm slung over his eyes lazily, his chest heaving up and down steadily like a sleeping dog. Bill snorted again before going back to his sleeping schedule, making Dipper smirk in amusement. His eye stayed on Bill, his hands floating over the box between his knees. The blond boy's hair was perfectly ruffled, his jaw chiseled in the sunlight. Dipper convinced him to shave the day before, but the hairs were coming back, making a slight perfect scruff on his jaw. Dipper put his elbows on his knees, resting his head with a hand. Bill looked so peaceful, so adorable while he was sleeping. It was hard to imagine Bill being anything less than an angel, despite the boy's innuendos.

Dipper checked his wristwatch, clicking his tongue once in annoyance. It was already eleven in the morning and Bill still wasn't up. Dipper, on a different day, would've screamed at the boy to get up and get to work, hitting him repeatedly until he obeyed. But this week was different, and the Shack was buzzing with people from the other rooms, all being ran by Wendy and the Rookie, and of course some other employees Dipper hired a long time ago. They understood his reason, and Wendy even clapped him on the back. He guessed everyone just wanted him to stop nagging everyone at the Shack for once.

The brunet hesitated, putting his hands on his knees to get up. No, he shouldn't wake him up. Should he?

Dipper shook his head, getting up from his comfy spot on the couch with a grunt. He shuffled over to the parallel couch, standing over the sleeping figure with his arms crossed over his chest. He leaned down, shaking Bill's shoulder gently. "Bill. Get up," Dipper whispered.

The blond boy groaned, rolling over in his sleep. Dipper rolled his eyes. "Bill," he hissed. The boy snorted in response.

"Get the fuck up, you lazy ass," Dipper hissed, shaking his shoulder. Bill waved him off with a sluggish hand, his hand resting over his shoulder like a defensive coat. " _Bill._ Are we or are we not doing anything today from your bucket list of shit?" Dipper asked him, crossing his arms over his chest with a huff. Over the past two days, they were fulfilling things off the bucket list left and right, from cooking together to having food fights to making out on the couch (Bill fell off the couch halfway through). But still, Bill had more, and more, and more. Everyday he had a surprise, and Dipper didn't want to admit that he liked each and every single one. 

Those surprises were always so cheesy, so cheesy that it could have came out of a romance novel or movie. But Bill, being the unpredictable bastard he was, always had a twist in each surprise.

They went back to arcade? Bill made sure they had one hundred of everything- tokens, tickets, and prizes (Dipper had to convince him to give most of the stuff toys away). Bill taught him how to play the piano? Bill was taking pictures the whole time. They made out on that couch? Bill's hands were always behind his back, but every time Dipper tried to look, he hid them away.

"Don't you just hate it when someone you love tells you something as heartbreaking as, 'get up'?" Bill asked, his voice husky and low from sleep.

Dipper's face flared up, and he cleared his throat before speaking. "Well, are you getting up or not?" Dipper asked in irritation, though his voice was slightly cracking to tone down his effect.

"Fine, fine. Only if you promise you won't wear that flannel outside again," Bill negotiated, his arm slipping away from his face.

"Why?" Dipper frowned.

"You haven't washed that since what, the beginning of summer? Besides, we're going out for a long while," Bill told him, his hand reaching over to his face to scratch an itch.

"Nothing to do in the house then?" Dipper inquired.

"You betcha, Darling," Bill drawled, his head lifting from the couch. He yawned, stretching his arms over his head. His shirt lifted a little, showing a little bit of skin around his stomach. Dipper tried not to stare, his eye on Bill's face with a scowl.

"I told you to stop calling me pet names," Dipper whined. Bill chuckled, turning sideways and putting his bare feet on the floor. He hunched forward, looking up at Dipper with an amused look.

"What do you want me to call you then?" Bill asked in curiosity.

"Dipper. No Pine Tree, no darling, no 'love'," Dipper told him, putting air quotes around 'love'. Bill's smirk widened, and he rested his chin on his hand, watching Dipper with an amused tint in his eyes.

"No can do, _liebling_ ," Bill purred.

Dipper huffed, making Bill laugh. Bill stood up lazily, rolling his sore shoulder in which he laid on throughout his whole nap. "Before I passed out, that girl came over to give you a box. What was in it?" Bill asked in curiosity, changing the subject.

"Oh, it was just a bunch of sweaters. I was actually going to ask if-" Dipper began. Bill cut him off, striding past him to walk over to the open box with the folded sweaters beside it. He leaned down and picked one up, looking at the knitted text at the front. It said, 'If lost, please return to Dipper Pines'.

Bill laughed in amusement, putting it down and picking up another. It said, 'I'm not Dipper Pines' with the 'not' part crossed out. Dipper rolled his eyes, walking over to Bill and ripping the sweater out of his grasp.

"Anyway, should we put it in the dumpster or burn it outsi-" Dipper began.

"Burn it? Throw it? Pine Tree!" Bill scolded.

"What?" Dipper asked in confusion.

"We are definitelywearing this outside. It's perfect!" Bill gasped.

"Per-? Bill, it's over a hundred degrees outside!"

"So? We can manage," Bill said in dismissal, rummaging through the box and throwing sweaters out left and right. "Aha! Oh, this one's golden!"

He pulled two sweaters out, one yellow and one blue. Well, they weren't really sweaters- more like hoodies. It was probably the only hoodies in the box. Bill turned them around with a snort, showing Dipper with a crazy grin on his face. The yellow one said, 'I'm Bill fucking Cipher' and the blue read, 'I'm fucking Bill Cipher'. Mabel fulfilled her promise at last.

"Bill, we are _not_ wearing that outside!" Dipper shouted, ripping the hoodies out of the boy's arms. He threw them back into the box.

"I know, I know. I'd imagine we'd cause a bunch of ruckus if we did," Bill assured him.

"What do you-?" Dipper began.

"Nevermind, nevermind. Anyway, if it makes you feel better, we don't have to wear any of these," Bill told him hurriedly.

"Okay, good. Now where are we going?" Dipper asked in slight irritation.

"Not so fast, Pine Tree. Change first," Bill clucked.

"To what? All I have are white shirts and flannels," Dipper pointed out.

"I bought you some clothes, Love. They're in your cabinet. Go," Bill told him, shoving him friendly. Dipper scowled. Then Bill's words sunk in.

"You bought me clothes?"

"You honestly think I'd let you keep wearing those? I'm not letting anyone think I keep you in rags, Pine Tree," Bill snorted.

Dipper rolled his eyes. He stepped forward, walking out of Bill's hands. But then Bill's arms latched onto his waist, and he was reeled back, Bill's head dipping to his sore neck. The boy breathed in, and Dipper shivered, his fists balling up to keep from shaking. They stayed like that for a couple more minutes, just standing there, embracing each other like they couldn't have enough.

"Do you want me to help?" Bill asked, his voice low and quiet.

"I can dress myself up, thank you," Dipper said indignantly, stepping away from Bill's arms. Bill chuckled, holding out his arms, expecting Dipper to jump back into them. He put them down when he saw that Dipper wasn't going to move.

"I didn't mean it like _that,_ jeez. I was just trying to be smooth," Bill snorted.

"Well, asking if you can dress me up is definitely _not_ the smoothest thing you could say. Try better next time," Dipper told him. Bill pouted.

"Fine. Will you be happier if I ask to watch instead?" he asked expectantly.

Dipper scoffed, turning around with his back facing Bill. He strode to the stairs, praying that Bill wouldn't follow. But of course the idiot did. "Bill, go away. I'll be back after I change," Dipper said dryly.

"Aw, don't be so bitter, Pine Tree! I saw you naked before, now won't be an exception," Bill pointed out. Dipper's ears turned red in embarrassment, and he walked faster. He was halfway up the stairs.

"You'll be tempted again. You're going to be horny all over again," Dipper answered.

"So? You can help me with that, I'm pretty sure," Bill told him. Dipper didn't have to turn around to know the boy was grinning.

"Brush your teeth. Change yourself. Then I'll meet you downstairs," Dipper told him, ignoring his words. Bill grunted.

"Maybe next time," Dipper blurted, his eyes widening in surprise at his own words. Bill went quiet, and he knew that he said the right thing. Or the wrong thing, depending on how you look at it. He almost cringed at himself.

They separated in the hallway, Dipper in his room, and Bill in the bathroom. Dipper locked his door in case Bill decided to march in, and walked over to his cabinet, unbuttoning his flannel. He shook his shoulders, squeezing out of the flannel, the cotton shirt falling to the floor. He took off his white shirt, dropping it into the basket of laundry beside his cabinet. He picked up his flannel, putting it inside his closet. It didn't smell too bad.

Dipper opened his cabinet, his eye twitching when he saw what Bill got him. He should've known.

A new navy blazer was hooked up, a casual style but still overall stylish. A white shirt was folded below it, and a pair of jeans with the tag still attached was beside that. At least there was no note this time.

Dipper sighed through his nose, grabbing the shirt and putting it over his head. It was surprisingly soft, not scratchy as expected. He grabbed the jeans, ripping the tag out with his nails. He got out of his old, muddy jeans and put them on, once again surprised at how fitting it was on his body. He zipped it up, stretching it out with his legs to see if it was bearable. It was like wearing baggy jeans, free to move, but it was skinny enough that it hugged his body. Dipper, slightly impressed at Bill's choice of size and fabric, took the blazer out of the hanger it was on. He put it on, slipping in the sleeves. He looked at himself in the mirror near the cabinet, pivoting around to check himself.

He actually looked...nice.

Dipper frowned at the blazer. It didn't suit him as much, but it was a good alternative to his flannel. He rolled up the sleeves, cuffing them right below his elbow just as Grunkle Stan taught him. There, that's better. He wondered for a brief moment if he should wear his glasses, but thought against it. His prescription wasn't that high, anyway. He could manage as long as he wasn't driving.

He smiled happily to himself, flattening out his hair to make him look more presentable. Even after a week and so from being apart of his hat, his hair was still curly and bouncy at the bottom. Though over the years, his hair got used to be being worn with a hat, and it looked almost natural.

Dipper pivoted around, walking over to his door. He opened it, and was surprised to see Bill standing there with a happy grin plastered on his face.

A blue rose was clutched around one hand, outstretched to Dipper as the boy bowed, looking up at Dipper. "Brushed my teeth, changed out, and picked up this rose for you," Bill told him humbly. Dipper took the rose gingerly, the texture almost identical to a normal rose. How the hell did he even find a blue one?

"You did all that in the time it took me to change out _once?"_ Dipper asked in disbelief. Bill, he realized, was wearing an almost identical blazer. But his was yellow, and there was a small triangle stitched on the left side.

"What can I say? You take as long as a girl, Pine Tree," Bill told him. Dipper scowled, putting the rose on his dresser right beside the door.

"Nice uh, shirt by the way," Dipper told him, awkwardly stepping out the door and closing it behind him.

"Thanks, Love. Do you know what it's made out of?" Bill grinned. Dipper raised his eyebrow.

"Boyfriend material."

Dipper fought back a groan, smacking Bill straight in the face with his palm. "Where the hell are we going?" Dipper asked, changing the subject. Bill cracked his knuckles, his hands grazing over the bruises with a smile on his face.

"It's a surprise, Pine Tree. We just have to get a snack first," Bill grinned.

"I hope you realize that we don't have a car?" Dipper reminded him. Every single time they had to go somewhere more than two miles away from the Shack, they took the bus or called up a taxi. Today was a busy day, with some special occasion Dipper forgot the name of and didn't particularly care. They needed their own car in order to move around faster, and Dipper's old truck was obviously destroyed by the crash.

"Oh, don't worry. I bought us a new car," Bill replied, spinning a key chain around one finger. Dipper watched, mesmerized by his finger's movements. With a blink, he realized it was a car key.

"A new car? Bill, you didn't have t-" Dipper began with a slight edge of accusation.

"Oh please. It's the least I can do. Your truck's gone because of what I did. It's...all I can do to help," Bill told him, his voice unnaturally quiet. Dipper's facial features softened as he tilted his head up to look at Bill. He put a hand on the boy's broad shoulder and lifted himself up on his toes, kissing the boy on the lips. They were soft, familiar, and almost intoxicating to the touch. It took all his strength to pull away.

"Thank you," Dipper murmured.

"For what? It wasn't that expensive, all I did was-" Bill started.

"No, no, not just that," Dipper cut off, "for everything. I didn't want you to leave me, and I thought you'd never come back. But you did." His voice cracked slightly. The first time in a long while. 

Bill smiled softly, his hands stuffing into his blazer's pockets. But his eyes never left Dipper's face. "I was always here. You were the one who left me," Bill whispered. Dipper swallowed, resting his head on Bill's chest. Bill pulled him closer, hugging him tight to his chest.

"I'm sorry," Dipper croaked out, "I'm sorry I didn't believe you. I'm sorry I left."

"It's...not your fault," Bill soothed, his chin on top of his head. His voice rumbled in his chest, and Dipper could feel his heart beat in the position he was in. "If I were you, I would've done way more damage than what you did. Hell, I would've killed you and that girl," Bill chuckled. Bill softly grabbed his shoulders, pulling him away to look into his face. His face gradually softened.

"Let's get some froyo. I call shotgun!" Bill told him with an ear-splitting grin.

Dipper rolled his eyes, watching as the immature boy ran down the stairs, making a ruckus the whole way down. He dragged his feet all the way down, yelling at Bill to slow down and wait for him. But Bill merely shouted at him to hurry up, and Dipper was forced to run, ripping open the back door to find Bill.

Bill was already in the passenger seat of the car, half of his body out of the door as he waved at Dipper. It reminded him of a dog, and Dipper fought the urge to snort. And, after shifting his attention away from the dog-like boy, his eyes widened when he saw the car. It was a golden mustang (if those things even existed), the hood of the car spray-painted with a black triangle. If that wasn't enough, the sound of the engine sounded like a purr, different from Dipper's truck. If Dipper didn't see the crazy boy waving his arms around like limp noodles in the passenger seat, he would've thought the car belonged to a pimp. A middle-aged, bald-haired pimp.

"Are you sure you didn't steal that car?" Dipper asked worriedly, his legs still glued to the pavement as he looked at the car beside the Shack. Some people gave them weird looks, but the people of Gravity Falls were used to weirder things than two boys in blazers yelling at each other.

"It has my symbol, kid. I bought it on the internet yesterday," Bill assured him. Dipper sighed, walking towards Bill.

"Your symbol? You mean the triangle?" Dipper inquired.

"You betcha! That's the reason why I took all of Shooting Star's nacho things!" Bill said. Dipper gave him an unamused look through the window, opening the car door to the driver seat.

He sat down, closing the door after him. The key was already in the ignition, and all he had to do was drive off. "So uh, where exactly are we going?" Dipper questioned. Bill hummed, strumming his fingers on his thigh.

"Glad you asked, Pine Tree! We're going to the froyo shop in town," he announced proudly.

"Uh, why is going to a froyo shop on your list?" Dipper asked curiously. It just seemed random. Or, more random than the ones on Bill's crazy list. Hell, he didn't even know why he did half of those things.

"Because it's fun?" Bill told him, his statement more like a question than an answer.

Dipper shook his head and pulled out of the driveway. He hoped they didn't crash without his glasses.

* * *

"Oh, oh, oooh! They have mango!" Bill squealed, running over to the machine.

He pulled the lever, filling up his already full cup with the frozen yogurt. Dipper fought the urge to facepalm. He already lost count of how many flavors Bill put in his cup. But he was guessing at least more than fifteen. Bill's cup of froyo was gray and sluggish, different in contrast to Dipper's strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla one.

"Bill, you do realize the more you put in the cup, the more money we have to pay for it?" Dipper reminded him, his tone tired like an exhausted parent.

"So? Kid, we have gold bars to spend," Bill told him, sliding over to the toppings bar and sprinkling sprinkles all over his grey sludge with a lopsided grin.

"Why do you keep calling me 'kid'? How old are you even?" Dipper asked, a little irritated at the constant name Bill keep giving him. It was almost as worst as 'Pine Tree'. That nickname isn't even relevant anymore!

"I'm twenty tri- twenty years old, obviously," Bill chirped, his hand slithering over to the marshmallows. Dipper, hesitantly, reached over and sprinkled a decent amount of banana bits.

"The hell are you doing with your life then?" Dipper asked.

"Living. Being free as you guys call it. I'd rather be spending time and having fun than going to a boring class as you always talk so highly about, Pine Tree," Bill spoke, sticking out his tongue as he added in some strawberry over his sludge.

"It's for education. I need it in order to-" Dipper argued.

"-make a living, blah blah blah. You don't need to make money when I provide for you, you know. That's the perks of getting married to a rich man," Bill pointed out. Dipper gave him a sideways look. He added in some fruity pebbles, just because.

"In case you haven't noticed, but I'm only eighteen. I'm not planning on getting married yet. I need money," Dipper said dryly.

"Then I'll provide either way. Who said I couldn't give money to my boyfriend?" Bill told him, wrinkling his nose at 'boyfriend'. "Eugh, the word boyfriend doesn't sound right. How 'bout soul mate? Yeah, that sounds better," Bill mumbled to himself.

Dipper shook his head, weighing his cup in his hand. It wasn't too heavy, but he knew Bill's cup was going to bring the prices to the roof. "What do you even need education on? The birds and the bees?" Bill asked with a chuckle.

"Yes. I have no idea about that," Dipper shot back sarcastically.

But to his surprise, Bill became quiet, and his face blanked. Bill's mouth clamped shut, and his hand was hovering over blueberries. He put his arm down to his side, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Dipper glanced at him in curiosity. He was about to ask what was wrong when Bill spoke. "Shooting Star's books talked about them a little. I could teach you a little if you ditch the school," Bill grinned almost sheepishly, still shifting his weight cautiously. 

Dipper craned his neck around in confusion. "Bill," he began, slowly as if Bill was a little kid, "we just did it a few days ago. Plus, we came close to it a few times over those days as well. It was _sarcasm._ What made you think...?"

Bill's sheepish grin widened. "I don't know how Americans work. I'm German. For all I know, you don't even know what nocturnal emission is," Bill told him. Dipper wrinkled his nose.

"I've had the male anatomy for eighteen and a half years. I'm pretty sure I'd know what that is," Dipper told him. Bill scoffed.

"Speaking of the birds and the bees," he drawled, "how...was I?"

Dipper almost sneered, before he realized that his companion was legitimately worried, his face contorted in a way that made Dipper's stomach churn with butterflies, as cliche as that sounded. "You think I wouldn't act like the way I did if you weren't?" Dipper said in an undertone, his face blossoming with redness as he realized that he was in a public area, a place where it was very much possible that someone was listening in into their conversation.

"Well, I heard of people faking it in pornography before, and-" Bill jabbered on.

"Bill," Dipper cut off, "calm down. You were good. Like uh- extremely good. I mean, you probably done it before. I never thought it would feel that good until, you know..." Oh God, he should really stop talking. He coughed into his hand, turning his gaze away from his boyfriend. This was extremely awkward. 

Bill's lips twitched up, and he knew that he said the right thing to fuel the ego of a man with the biggest ego than a king. "You were my first, Pine Tree," Bill told him, thankfully in a low tone so no one could hear them. Bill's weight came closer to him subconsciously.

"I- I was?" Dipper sputtered in surprise.

"Didn't I tell you that already? Or were you so focused on getting pleasure from me that you had no idea what I was spilling out of my mouth?" Bill whispered, his face so close to Dipper's that he could almost feel his breath tickling his ear. Dipper, with slightly shaking hands, reached over and took up some tongs, putting some gummy sharks into his cup to make it seem as if they weren't just talking about sex in the corner of the shop.

"W- well..." Dipper stammered.

"And I got to hand it to you," Bill breathed, his breath tickling Dipper's neck, "you made me crazy with you looking hot and flustered under me."

Dipper didn't dare to open his mouth, afraid that if he did, he'd become a stuttering mess. He took a few breaths to calm himself down, drumming his shaking fingers on his thigh as he pretended to look around the bar for some more toppings, Bill merrily adding more and more to his cup right after his little comment, as if nothing happened to make Dipper shake.

"Are you done? We should probably go pay for these," Dipper told the humming boy, proud that for once he didn't stumble or voice-cracked on his words.

"Eh, alright. I'll just get some more later," Bill grinned. He held up his cup of gray and bumpy-textured sludge, all of his toppings covered over by more froyo. Some of it was spilling down the cup and down his knuckles, but Bill didn't notice or care for that matter. Dipper pinched the bridge of his nose and massaged it, shaking his head slightly like a tired mom.

They went and payed for the frozen yogurt, the cashier giving Bill a weird look when Bill placed it on the counter. Dipper gave the cashier an apologetic smile, and the cashier gave Dipper a look of disinterest back. The man totaled up their price, announcing that it was thirteen dollars and twenty three cents. Dipper fished out a twenty dollar bill and paid for it, Bill reaching over and taking his cup as soon as Dipper did so. The cashier gave them special spoons, and Bill excitedly took one, jabbing it into his froyo before pulling it out, taking a big bite out of it. He cringed, pulling the spoon out with a grimace.

"Ow, ow!" Bill hissed, Dipper leading him over to a small table outside of the store. An umbrella stood over their table, allowing them shade in the bright, sunny summer day. "Pine Tree, why does my brain hurt?! Is this poisoned?! Damn it, don't eat it!" Bill screamed, rubbing the top of his head.

Dipper laughed, taking his shoulder and pushing him down to the chair. He sat across from the grimacing blond. "It's brain freeze, dummy. It happens if you eat something cold too fast," Dipper explained patiently.

"How does it go away?" Bill asked, spooning in another scoop into his mouth. Dipper reached over with a sigh, putting Bill's hand down to the table.

"Rule one; don't put in the frozen yogurt in your mouth too quickly or in big chunks. That's how you get it," Dipper told him.

Bill pouted, his bottom lip jutting out like a hurt puppy. "But I like-" Bill whined.

"Oh hey, is that Dipstick? Ha ha, it is! Look, it's Dipstick!" a man laughed.

Dipper's shoulders went rigid, and his hands clenched in his lap. His breathing laboured, and ringing filled his ears. _No, oh God no, not now, please not with Bill-_ Dipper thought. Bill looked behind Dipper curiously. His eyes flickered back to the brown-haired boy and he frowned. "Who-?" he began.

"Aw, are you forced to hang out with your hot sister's newest boyfriend again, Dipstick? Ha, always the third wheel, even with your twin!" the deep-voiced male sneered.

Bill's frown deepened, and his hand stirred the frozen yogurt in his cup. "Look guys, he's wearing a fucking blazer. Jesus, I never thought I'd see the hermit in something other than a flannel. It doesn't even suit him," one of the girls gossiped. Dipper's head and shoulders drooped, and he began spooning the froyo into his mouth slowly, trying his best to ignore the gang of college kids behind him. They were the same ones who laughed at him for not getting any Valentine's Day cards. He didn't know how they found him in Gravity Falls all the way from Piedmont. But they were the 'cool kids' in their school, so they were probably on a road trip. And Dipper had the indecency to be one of their guests to be met with. His sister couldn't save him this time. And besides, he should be used to it. Right?

"Hey, Dipstick! Are you going to turn around and greet us or what? What, are you too _scared?_ Come on, dude!" one of the boys crooned. Dipper ignored the laughter and whispers that followed, putting the frozen yogurt into his mouth like an automated robot. Bill, across from him, was frowning, his brow pulled together in confusion and concern.

"D'aw, does little Dipper still have anxiety? Come on, there are people who have it way worse than your boring life. Get a grip," one of them laughed.

"I'm sorry, but is this guy bothering you? If Mabel forced you to hang out with her brother, that's perfectly understandable," one of the girls purred, her voice closer to them, "You can hang out with us, you know. We won't tell. And we'll make sure this idiot keeps his mouth shut as well."

"And besides, its time Dipstick gets a date! Hermit Boy here is probably too much of a chicken to get a match online. It'll help if he stays here alone, trust me!" one of the boys assured Bill, their voices getting closer. Dipper still kept his head down, his arms on the table as his eyes stayed glued to the swirl of the cup.

"For your information, this kid here has a boyfriend," Bill said darkly, his voice an edge of warning.

"What? Dipstick, why didn't you tell us? I bet he's some acne-covered nerd in our school's old math team. Tell us about this unfortunate soul for us!" the same deep-voiced boy said, clapping a heavy hand over Dipper's back. Bill's eyes flashed with anger at the boy's touch, and his arms braced on the table as he tried to get up. But Dipper's eyes flickered over to his, a plea in them that automatically made the angered boy sit down like an obedient dog.

"Come on, Dip, do you seriously still have grudges against us? We didn't hurt your feelings _that_ bad!" the boy guffawed. 

"Leave him, all of you," Bill gritted out.

"What, why? He needs to be more strong, if you haven't noticed. If he was stronger, he could've made his way through high school a lot easier," one of them told Bill. Bill's lips curled back in disgust.

"And I'm assuming you guys are the ones who put those obstacles for him?" he asked with an edge of disgust.

"Bingo, big man. Can you even believe this kid is related to that hottie? Dipstick here probably can't get even a decent boyfriend!" the first deep-voiced boy laughed.

"I advise that you guys leave me and him alone. And, for your information, Shooting Star unfortunately isn't mine to claim. She's Pacifica's girl," Bill said dryly.

"Aw, sucks. Eh, those two will break up sooner or later. And don't tell me this idiot dragged you here by bribing you or anything. Or worst," one of the girls said, her voice becoming hushed as she said, "your boyfriend."

That let out fits of laughter and blubbers of disbelief, and Bill looked over to Dipper with an inferno in his eyes.

"Bill-" Dipper croaked out. A plea for the boy to not do anything stupid, or anything, for that matter. But his plea didn't work. 

The boy was up over the table, leaning over with his hands around Dipper's cheeks in a loving caress as he kissed him with a fiery passion that made Dipper dizzy. He moved his lips, exaggerating the noises that came with it, and no matter how hard Dipper tried, he couldn't be free of the stronger boy's grip. His eyes fluttered open for a brief moment to try and let go of Bill, but he was surprised when he looked to his left. His old bullies were standing there, mouth open and agape as Bill flipped them off with one hand.

Bill let go of him when he was satisfied, leaning over his chair with a grin on his face.

"Leave us," Bill drawled, waving a lazy hand in their direction.

"Wa- wait. Y- you sound a- a lot like-" one of the boys stammered.

"Bill Cipher's the name. You probably heard me on TV in Piedmont a couple summers ago. Nice to see some fans," Bill laughed. All eight of the bullies turned to look at each other with wide eyes. Some were even shaking, and one even mumbled, "I want my mommy."

Dipper would've found it comical and he would've laughed at the scene set before him, if it wasn't for the words thrown at him a moment ago. And, before Dipper could linger on those moments again, all of his old 'friends' strode away, their legs working faster than a casual person's. 

Bill laughed joyfully at the panic he caused, spooning some more froyo into his mouth in celebration. "Well, what a relief, am I right, Love? They were annoying the hell out of me," Bill said, his spoon stabbing his now-soft frozen yogurt due to the heat outside. But Dipper noticed that the sun was being blocked by some darker looking clouds, and wondered if it would rain sooner or later. Meh, he'd worry later.

"Thank you," Dipper murmured, putting some more froyo into his mouth almost solemnly. Bill's grin faded into a kind smile.

"They were making you feel less than you are. I couldn't let them do that to my Pine Tree, now couldn't I?" Bill said. Bill's gaze softened even more at Dipper's small frown.

"Hey," Bill demanded, but the kindness stayed, "smile for me."

Dipper's brow furrowed in confusion. "Smile. It makes me feel better when you do," Bill told him. And so he did. He gave Bill a small smile, a smile of thanks and gratefulness.

"Now, get up. We're going to that store beside the shop," Bill told him, his smile turning into a grin.

"Wh-?" Dipper blinked, craning his neck to where Bill was nodding at. He squinted, thanks to having no glasses, and saw that it was a deserted pet shop.

"Bill, what the hell?" Dipper groaned, turning around to look at his companion. His lover was writing in a notebook, his head down with his tongue stuck out as he wrote with one hand, his other hand spooning some more froyo in his mouth. Though he was careful he didn't splatter some of the frozen yogurt into the pages, and only when he saw Dipper look at him did he put it away hurriedly into his backpack.

"Whoops. Heh, just doing some practice on my writing. What did you say?" Bill asked with a sheepish smile. Dipper rolled his eyes.

"A pet store? You really want to buy a pet, _now?_ Bill, it takes up a lot of responsibility!" Dipper argued.

"So? There's two of us, plus Shooting Star. It can survive," Bill assured him.

"What kind of pet do you even _want_?" Dipper hissed.

"I don't know. You choose, I guess," Bill said, shrugging as he stood up from his spot on the chair. The chair screeched, and Dipper cringed. His boyfriend held out a hand.

Hesitantly, and almost regretfully, the brunet took his hand and let him pull him up.

"Bill, seriously, I don't think this is such a good-" Dipper began weakly.

"Yadda yadda yadda. Kid, you gotta loosen up. I have a surprise for you later, too. Bigger than the ones I had for you," Bill told him, holding his hand as they walked down the street, throwing their half-empty froyo cups into the garbage can. Dipper cringed when their cups hit the bottom, regretting not taking the cup with him. He kind of liked it.

"Honestly, I'm a little scared. Are you sure we're not going to go sky-diving or something?" Dipper huffed out sarcastically.

"Yes, actually. But that's for when we have time," Bill said dismissively, making Dipper's eyes widen in surprise. "I have something bigger," Bill grinned. He turned his head to look at Dipper. His eyes were suddenly filled with small concern. "And if you don't want to do it, that's fine with me. I just thought it would be a good idea, and it would kind of help bond us together, you know?" Bill said again. 

"Bill, you're scaring me here. What is it?" Dipper inquired, frowning slightly.

Bill breathed out slowly through his nose. "I'll tell you later. Let's find us a new addition to the sad Shack," Bill said, changing the subject. Dipper tightened his lips together, being pulled along harder by Bill through the streets.

Thankfully, the pet shop was only a few stores down, and they barely had to pass anyone to get there. Everyone was probably at the central of the town, celebrating something Dipper didn't know about. He didn't care anyway.

"So, cats, dogs, parrots, fish, chinchillas, what's your pick, Darling?" Bill drawled, leading Dipper to the pet shop window. It showcased a variety of animals, some that Dipper didn't even know the names to. Out of curiosity, Dipper pressed his forehead against the glass, looking at the wide set of animals with searching eyes. _Wait, what the hell am I doing?_ Dipper thought, stepping away from the glass. He glowered at a bunny, which skidded away at his gaze. 

"Can we _not_ buy one, maybe? Bill, I don't even-" Dipper began tiredly.

"What are you talking about, Pine Tree? Of course we need one! Your Shack is as bare as my ass," Bill snorted.

"Well-" he started.

"No buts, Dipper. Pick one. We're not leaving until you do," Bill cut off.

Dipper sighed in frustration, looking through the window once more. From here, he could see everything inside anyway. For the sake of going home before he turned thirty, Dipper searched with his swiveling eye, one hand pressed against the surprisingly cool glass. He saw puppies, kittens, white fluffy bunnies, hamsters in cages, chinchillas sleeping inside tents, and even large fishes swimming about in large aquariums. 

"Well...how about that one?" Dipper suggested, pointing at a white fluffy bunny. It was the only animal that seemed easy enough to take care of. Bunnies were good pets, right?

Bill leaned over, looking at what Dipper was pointing at. He squinted, and wrinkled his nose. "Pick something that can walk around the house, Love. And uh, something less sophisticated," Bill told him.

"I thought you liked sophisticated things?" Dipper pried.

"I do. But I don't know, things like that are _ugh_ ," Bill said with a disgusted undertone. The brunet shook his head, leaning back over to the glass. 

Dipper tapped the glass, coaxing some of the animals in the front to look at him. Some did, and a kitten with grey fur looked over at him. Right when everything was going alright in Dipper's book, the cat hissed, swiped a paw, and stalked off to clean its fur. Dipper's eyes narrowed. 

Any time he picked a good pet, Bill shot him down with a shake of a head. The turtle over there? Bill said that the turtle might bite his finger off. The dog whimpering in the corner? Bill thought it should have a better owner, as they were not experienced owners for a PTSD-caused dog. The gold-fish? Too simple. Each and every single one, Bill didn't seem to be satisfied with.

"Bill, can we just do this another da-" Dipper whined.

A gasp escaped Bills lips, and Dipper turned around.

The blond boy was staring straight at a stray kitten on the street, his mouth hung open. The kitten was not the prettiest of cats out there. It had matted orange-y yellow and black-striped fur, almost like a tiger's, and its paws were dirty with mud. A scar ran down its face, and one of its eyes were missing. Dipper blinked subconsciously, and watched as the kitten trudged through a box, circled there, and sat down, licking its hurt paw. He realized that on the kitten's chest was a triangle shaped blotch of fur, white and standing out. 

"Bill, don't you dare-" Dipper warned. But the blond boy shot forward, crossing the street without looking both ways and Dipper was forced to follow, screaming at him to stop. But Bill never did, up until he reached the kitten in the box. He knelt down, saying some words under his breath that Dipper couldn't hear. The brunet finally reached him with a huff. 

"Bill, what the hell are you-?!" Dipper screeched. Bill turned around to meet his boyfriend, the kitten outstretched in his hands. The kitten was limp, meowing playfully as Bill grinned.

"How do you feel about this one? I like him!" Bill suggested cheerfully.

"That's a stray cat," Dipper pointed out dully. 

"So? That makes it all the cheaper! We just need to get it a collar, some food, grooming, and-" Bill rambled.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down! We can't just- I mean, we can but- Bill, this isn't- ugh!" Dipper gritted out, throwing his hands in the air in frustration. Bill laughed at his anger, holding the cat to his chest even though it was clearly going to leave a mark on his new blazer.

"I'll pay, don't worry. You can name if you want," Bill chirped, petting the kitten on the head. Dipper cringed, waiting for the small fur-ball to lash out, but the cat just purred softly, nestling in to Bill's chest. Dipper's eye twitched. 

"I'm not good with names. You name him. But-" Dipper started with a sigh. 

"Chip!" Bill sang out.

"Wh- what?" Dipper said in confusion.

"Chip! Let's name him Chip!" Bill grinned.

"I- wha- I'm not even going to ask," he grunted.

"Too bad, I'm tellin' you. Next time, we find another cat so we can name it Dip. Get it? Hahahaha! Chip and Dip! Like us!" Bill laughed. Dipper resisted the urge to facepalm.

"Fine, let's just- let's go take him to the store, get him a collar and some food, and we're out of here," Dipper agreed begrudgingly, taking all his strength to not strangle Bill.

So they did. They got the cat a custom-made collar, a blue one with a bell on it, sending the cat to be groomed for a little while. They didn't have to fill out any papers or anything for the cat, as Gravity Falls was already a small town and picking a cat off the street and adopting it was actually a good thing. They bought some food, some cat-nip, some toys, a bed, and everything a cat would need to survive in their dusty Shack. 

"I hate you," Dipper grumbled, taking the bags of food into the trunk of the mustang. Bill slid in the cat's carrier and the cat itself into the back seat with a happy smile on his face. Jeez, does this guy ever stop smiling?

"Oh trust me Pine Tree, you'll love him like your own child! It'll be fun!" Bill lilted, closing the door to the back seat. The sky above them was completely darkened by the clouds, the sun no longer shining into their eyes. Dipper was kinda glad, and he no longer had to squint to see what was ahead of him due to the shining light. Maybe he spent too much time locked up in his room.

"When we have sex in my room again, you're taking the cat out," Dipper grumbled sarcastically, leaning downwards to place in some more bags of treats into the trunk. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bill, grinning at no one in particular as he looked down at the car with his arms crossed, his eyes clouded over. Dipper couldn't tell if it was from lust, from happiness, or if the boy was just deep in thought. "I prefer changing places to do it. Maybe next time a bathroom stall?" Bill asked huskily. Dipper scoffed in disbelief at his boyfriend's bluntness, closing the trunk after he put in everything. The trunk was now filled with cat stuff.

"Now that's over, let's go home so I could-" Dipper said, yawning as he stretched his back. 

"Shit, we forgot the toys!" Bill screamed, his head snapped up.

"What?" 

"The toys! Come on, we have to go them before we leave!" Bill yelped, taking Dipper's hand and pulling him across the street. 

"Bill! We'll get it tomorrow! It's going to-!" Dipper shouted in exasperation. As if to finish his sentence, thunder rumbled above.

But the stubborn boy didn't listen, and kept pulling Dipper along until they were at the entrance of the store. After the thunder innuendo, everyone was inside stores or in their cars, leaving Dipper and Bill in an empty street. Bill knocked on the pet shop's window, but no one answered. The blond boy grunted in frustration under his breath. 

Dipper leaned over and read the sign on the shop. It was closed. "Bill, we'll go as soon as it opens tomorrow morning, I promise. We have to-" Dipper began.

"No. There's another pet shop across the alley, let's check there. You don't want poor Chip to be miserable, do you?" Bill grunted out, taking Dipper's arm and pulling him across the back-alley. 

A droplet of water touched Dipper's shoulder, and he forced his arm out of Bill's grip. "Bill, we have to go back to the car. It's going to rain," Dipper told his stubborn lover with a frustrated sigh. But Bill didn't listen or didn't care, and kept going down the alley with his head held high. Dipper followed him, his fists clenched. "Were you even listening to me?!" 

Bill didn't respond, but reached over and grabbed Dipper's hand as a reflex, pulling him along. "If the store here is closed, then so is the other one across the street. Some stores close early today, Bill, and it doesn't help that-" Dipper began. Bill shushed him.

"We're not going home until we at least _try_ and get some toys. And besides, my surprise is only a few blocks away," Bill assured him. 

" _Babe_ , it's going to rain-" Dipper pleaded. Bill inhaled sharply, and Dipper's hand let go of Bill's in surprise.

"Call me that again," Bill murmured.

"Call you...what?" Dipper asked in confusion. They kept walking, but Dipper couldn't shake the feeling of nearing rain, the hairs on the back of his neck raising. 

" _That_. You...you only called me that once before, and every other time you called me Bill," Bill whispered.

"What, 'babe'? It's just a pet name some people use, it doesn't-" Dipper began.

"-matter?" Bill finished, scoffing in disbelief. He took up Dipper's hand again when he realized he dropped it, squeezing harder. "Those 'pet names' you humans give have much more power than you all realize," Bill explained. The corner of Dipper's lips turned downwards. 

"It means a person is yours, Pine Tree. Why do you think I never call you by what others call _you?_ It leaves a mark, a word that others know they can't use on you," Bill explained, his tone somehow distant and hollow, like a high school teacher in a way. Dipper's brow furrowed.

"So by calling you something else, I'm basically calling you mine?" Dipper echoed, trying to make sense of what Bill was trying to say. But Bill kept quiet, silent until they were almost to the cheap pet shop that was in view.

"Yes," Bill admitted. 

"You don't have to be so possessive, Bill. Everyone knows- or at least, most do, that we're together. We don't have to call each other pet names in order to-" Dipper began. 

"The store's closed," Bill murmured, cutting Dipper right off. Bill suddenly seemed glummer, and Dipper knew for a fact that it was his job to act grumpy, not Bill. It made Dipper frown. He glanced to the store beside them, not realizing that they were close enough to see the sign. It was closed. 

Another droplet found its way to them, this time on Bill. 

Bill jumped back in surprise, jumping to the protection of the long roof along the alley. Dipper laughed, still out in the open for the rain to take him. He missed the rain. During summer in Gravity Falls, it only rained once or twice. 

"What are you doing?! Get over here!" Bill hissed, moving forward to grab Dipper. But he saw more droplets come to the ground, and he stepped backwards with a nauseated look.

"It's just rain, Bill. I'll be fine," Dipper assured him.

"Yeah, and you'll die! That's poison!" Bill screeched. Dipper raised an eyebrow in an _oh, really?_ matter. Dipper reached out a hand, his palm upwards, and a droplet of water came onto it. Bill cringed, a look of pain on his face. 

"It's _water_. Where the hell have you been living?" Dipper asked with a laugh.

"Germany. Where I live, there is no such thing as rain, we have poison!" Bill hissed. "Heck, some of the things coming from the sky were knives!"

Dipper rolled his eyes (eye now, he guessed) and wiped his hand on his pants. Well at least now he knew what Germany was like. The rain was starting to get heavier, and the droplets came down faster. "Get out of there before I make you!" Bill shouted, sounding a lot like Dipper's mother when Dipper refused to eat.

"Go ahead!" Dipper challenged, crossing his arms over his chest and walking backwards. Thunder rumbled, and rain splattered him across the chest.

In an instant, he was knocked to the floor, a weight over his body.

The air was knocked out of him, and Dipper looked up in surprise. Bill stood over him, glaring. "Bill!" Dipper whined, writhing to get up. He kicked Bill out of the way, and they were tumbled over, with Dipper on top and Bill on the bottom.

But then Bill grunted and turned them over again, and again, and again. They clasped hands, pushing each other down as they tumbled on the wet pavement, their hair getting in their faces as the rain splattered them more and more. They wrestled, pulling each other down and dragging each other across the slippery floor.

"Plan B, Pine Tree- we're going to die," Bill hissed.

Bill shook the water out of his hair, his knee on Dipper's stomach as he kept him down. His hands pushed Dipper's arms to the pavement beside Dipper's head, and the brunet struggled, writhing and kicking to try and get out. But despite the scene, they were laughing. 

"It's not- _Bill!_ Get off me! Look, we're not dead!" Dipper huffed, turning to his side. He grabbed Bill's shoulder and pushed him to the ground beside him, and Bill came down for a good three seconds before tumbling back up, turning Dipper around so his back was back to the pavement. Bill shook his wet hair out of his face.

"Okay, so it's _not_ poison," Bill grunted.

"Obviously!" Dipper hissed.

Bill rolled his eyes, sitting up to let Dipper breathe. But his hands were still on Dipper's wrists, and they were inches apart from each other.

As cheesy as it was, they sat there, looking at each other while the rain splattered their backs and heads. They breathed in and out, their breaths mixing in with each other until they synchronized. Slowly, their pupils dilated, and Dipper was looking into eyes with a burning blaze in them. Dipper swallowed, closing his eyes as he leaned forward, pressing his wet forehead against Bill's warm one. His heart thrummed in his chest, reminding him of the love he still felt. A beat that reminded him that he was falling deeper and deeper in love, and it wouldn't stop unless his heart stopped with it. 

"Hey," Dipper breathed.

"Hey yourself, kid," Bill chuckled, his hands moving away from Dipper's wrists.

Bill leaned back, looking into Dipper's face with a soft look. He reached over and wiped some droplets away from Dipper's cheeks, his thumbs delicate on his face. Dipper's eyelids drooped slightly, and Bill laughed, his mouth slightly apart as he smiled down at Dipper. 

"Isn't this the part where we kiss?" Dipper asked innocently. 

Bill didn't respond but leaned forward, planting his lips onto Dipper's. His lips were softer than usual, gentle against Dipper's. He moved them, one hand on Dipper's cheek to get a good grip. Dipper's hands held onto Bill's blazer, pulling him closer. Their lips moved in a tender fashion, the sound of rain muffled in their ears. The thunder was quieted down like a television, and it was only them now, just two young lovers falling in love. Deeper, and deeper, and deeper. But both were okay with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *chants* angst, angst, angst, angst, angst.
> 
> Ha ha, but seriously though. There's mild angst in the next chapter. Wait, who am I kidding? Big angst in the next chapter, and then the next, and then the one after. So, for the sadists reading this, get ready to grin wickedly next chapter! But for those who want to protect these smol beans, I am so sorry.


	29. "Ich liebe dich und ich will dich nicht verlieren."

_"But you'll feel better when you wake up_  
_Swear to god I'll make up_  
_Everything and more when I get back someday_  
_This is more than just a phase, love_  
_Shooting stars all break up_  
_And even though it seems like half the world away_  
_Things will be better in America_  
_Heard the streets are gold there_  
_Maybe I could fly you out this place someday_  
_Chasing dreams like I'm on Novocain_  
_Screaming through your airways_  
_Looking back I almost thought I heard you say."_

**[Wake Up | EDEN](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCp0OSOe4cI) **

* * *

" _Oh my God,_ " Dipper panted, his bare chest slick with sweat as he breathed in.

Bill laughed joyfully, Dipper's cabinet opening as he searched around for some clothes. Bill slipped on a casual white t-shirt, shoving his legs into his jeans. "Good?" he asked, throwing some clothes in Dipper's direction.

"Good? Bill, I literally can't feel my lower half right now," Dipper complained, throwing his head against the pillow.

He covered his face with the t-shirt Bill threw at him, and he heard the blond boy chuckle in amusement. "Can you move?" Bill questioned. Dipper heard him close his cabinet.

"No," Dipper admitted quietly. He tried to move his legs, really. But they weren't responding, and it felt as if they were paralyzed. He couldn't even _feel_ them. 

"Alrighty then," Bill grinned, turning around to face Dipper. His zipper was still open, revealing the underwear underneath. "I'll just carry you around for the next week or so."

"Bill! This isn't funny!" Dipper moaned, dragging his arms behind him to sit up. His legs were still positioned by the edge of the bed, spread apart with his private parts still open and definitely not in private. Bill laughed softly, walking over to Dipper.

He planted a small kiss on the brunet's forehead. "Well, it's your fault for screaming at me to go harder," Bill pointed out.

"Okay first of all, I was horny-" Dipper puffed. 

Bill cut him off with another kiss, but this time on the lips. "It'll wear off in a moment, Pine Tree. Nothing to worry about," he assured Dipper, running his thumb over the brown-haired boy's chin.

"Thank you," Dipper murmured, drooping his head down to his chest.

"Oh, don't act like it was just for you, Pine Tree. It's a two-person thing. You were just unlucky enough to be bottom," Bill grinned, removing his hand away from Dipper's chin.

"Next time, I'm being top," Dipper blurted out. Bill raised his eyebrows in mild surprise, but the quirk of his lips told Dipper that he knew this was going to be brought up.

"Next time. When I feel like it," Bill told him.

Bill stepped backwards, turning around back to the cabinet. "So, navy or black?" Bill asked, ripping open Dipper's cabinet door for clothes. He ripped out two suits, one dark blue and the other black. Dipper wrinkled his nose.

"Bill, I've worn your vest, your blazer, and your dress shirt over the past few days, we're not going to-" Dipper argued. 

"Relax, Pine Tree. This will be the last time I force you to wear something. We're going out to eat for dinner," Bill grinned, lifting up the suits. Behind him, Chip meowed, rubbing his face against Bill's legs. 

Dipper scowled. They only had Chip for about one and a half day and the cat was already attached to Bill like super-glue. Every time they left to fulfill more of Bill's magical wish list, it was always harder than usual to leave, as the cat gave them the big eyes and pout when they tried to leave. It never affected Dipper as much, but it did wonders to the cold-hearted blond. 

The brunet stretched out his legs, finally feeling them for the first time in the last three minutes. He checked the clock beside his bed. 7:37 PM. "Bill, I'm just curious," Dipper began.

"Shoot the messenger," Bill nodded.

"Why do you think Mabel's been gone for so long? She's going to Piedmont tomorrow, and all I've heard from her for the past few days were her phone calls, and even then they were short," Dipper said with a frown. Thankfully, his sister didn't get wiped off the face of this Earth. But she seemed distant and cold, even to Bill and all her friends. Her phone calls consisted of reminding Dipper to the dishes, some chit-chat about gossip around town, and then she would hang up after saying a cheery goodbye. To someone else, this would seem normal and her phone calls just meant she was busy. But as her twin, Dipper knew that something happened to make her act like this.

It didn't help that each time he called, Mabel always made up an excuse as to why she wasn't going home. Things like, "Grenda needs help with her engagement party!" or "Candy needs help writing her newest novel!" or even "Pacifica and I have some catching up to do!" were some of the things she usually said. 

Dipper found it fine at first, because Mabel probably wanted to spend some time with her friends before coming home to Piedmont, but why? Why would she ignore her own twin for the past few days without so much as a hello and an excuse?

"Pine Tree? Pine Tree? _Pine Tree!_ " Bill shouted, snapping his fingers in front of Dipper.

Dipper snapped out of his little trance, and gave his lover a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I was just thinking. What did you say?" Dipper asked.

"I said, don't worry about Shooting Star," Bill began, "she's a star, kid. She can take care of herself. She just probably wants some alone time, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Dipper mumbled, getting up from his spot on the bed. He almost collapsed at the sudden feeling of standing up if it wasn't for Bill taking hold of his shoulder and keeping him up.

"Take it easy, Pine Tree. You were just screaming your lungs out five minutes ago," Bill soothed. Dipper glared at him, pushing him away softly to show that he could stand up by himself. 

He walked shakily over to his cabinet, pulling a drawer out and taking out some socks and underwear. He slipped into his underwear, grabbing the black slacks on top of the cabinet and pulling them on. Bill slid in beside him, his arms snaking around his waist. He kissed Dipper's bare shoulder, resting his head there right after.

"Can you let me go for a few minutes, at least? I need to dress up," Dipper laughed.

"No," Bill mumbled childishly, swaying the both of them in the spot.

"Didn't you just ask me to change just one minute ago?" Dipper inquired.

"Yes, but not now," Bill growled softly. 

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Now?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"Shh. We're having a moment here," Bill scolded.

"Bill, you idiot. Let go of me," Dipper whined.

The blond boy laughed softly, doing as told. He tossed a navy suit jacket and dress shirt at Dipper's general direction, and the brunette caught it with a sleeve. The suit jacket was a little more casual than a business one, something like what a hipster would wear on a good day. It was with a white dress shirt underneath, the suit jacket navy coloured and giving off the feel of being rich. Dipper sighed through his nose softly and put a hand through the dress shirt. 

"No, wait," Bill told him. Dipper put down the long-sleeve, looking over at Bill in confusion. "Let me see your chest," Bill coaxed.

Dipper gave him an unimpressed look. "Bill, I've had it for the past day and a half, you seriously don't have to-" Dipper argued.

"No," Bill said firmly, "I want to see it again. I just...want to make sure it's real."

He hesitated. He knew how much his tattoo meant to Bill. When Bill first proposed the idea of getting matching tattoos, he almost laughed. But the boy went into a long-winded rant about Dipper not having to do it if he felt pressured, or that the tattoo was just a suggestion and that he knew that it was permanent and not to be taken lightly. It made Dipper agree almost immediately right after, knowing perfectly well that Bill's intentions were good. They got the tattoos right after the rain stopped.

Dipper put down the clothes from his chest, letting his arms hang around his hips with the clothes intertwined between his hands. His bare chest was exposed, and with it, his tattoo. His was of a heart, a locket keeping his heart safe for a person to unlock. Roses blossomed behind it, and he couldn't be happier. The tattoo was right over his heart.

Bill, though it was hidden away under his white tee, had a tattoo to match Dipper's. Dipper could remember the tattoo as he remembered his own name. It was of a key, dark and cracked, a clock pointing to the three, symbolizing the devil's hour. Like his, petals of flower blossomed behind it.

"Did you wash it this morning? I forgot to ask," Bill blurted out. Dipper's lips twitched up.

"Of course. If I didn't I would have a rash right now, wouldn't I?" Dipper asked, shoving his arms into the dress shirt. He fluffed up the collar, buttoning the bottom button first and working his way up.

Bill stepped forward almost immediately, buttoning up the rest of Dipper's buttons for him. Dipper's arms hung limp by his sides as he did so, looking down as Bill's hands worked its way up. Finally, after a moment, all of the buttons were up to his collar. "Looking noble, my love," Bill purred, stepping back to admire his work. 

"Shouldn't you be dressing up too?" Dipper inquired, putting his arms through the suit jacket. Bill scoffed.

"You take as long as my dead grandmother, and she'd be able to do it five times faster in her graveyard. I'll wait until you finish," Bill told him. His eyes flashed with the familiar lust Dipper was used to. "And I got my wish too, didn't I?" Bill drawled. Dipper's neck flared with heat, and he threw a balled up sock at Bill's face.

"Y- you planned this!" Dipper accused, making the boy laugh harder.

"I wasn't planning anything, Pine Tree. You just suddenly got horny, and so did I," Bill told him, dodging another sock being thrown his way.

"You're the worst!" Dipper groaned. 

"Worst at math, but best in bed, am I right, Pine Tree?" Bill said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. 

"You are the absolute worst, Bill. I swear," Dipper groaned, taking a small comb from his bedside and running it through his hair. It tangled in his mess of a head, and he tugged, setting it free.

"Need help?" Bill chirped, watching as he struggled to run the comb through his hair. 

"Not from you," Dipper grunted, putting a hand on his head to keep his head steady as he tugged.

"Just leave it, Pine Tree. You look better with curly hair than straight hair. It makes you look like Shaggy from that cartoon Shooting Star puts on sometimes," Bill told him, plucking the comb out of his reach. He put it back on the bedside desk, making Dipper scowl.

"First, you tell me to dress up nicely for once. Then, you tell me that my hair should stay messy. What is the logic in _that?"_ Dipper inquired. 

"It'll just get messy when we reach somewhere private. I'm just saving you some time," Bill sang out. Dipper hit him with a pillow.

He ran away laughing. 

"Bill!" he seethed, taking up another pillow from his bed. He strode over to the laughing maniac, hitting his turned back with the pillow as hard as he can. But the boy kept laughing, amused at his lover's anger.

"You know it's true!" Bill scolded, letting Dipper hit him one more time above the head.

Then, having enough of Dipper's seething anger, he took hold up Dipper's wrists, forcing him to drop the pillow to the ground. His grasp was gentle, but hard enough that Dipper could barely turn his wrists without hurting himself. 

Before he knew it, Dipper was pulled towards Bill, his lips smashing against Bill's.

Bill laughed softly under his breath when he pulled apart from Dipper, Dipper's head slightly dizzy and dazed from their sudden kiss. "I'm never going to get tired of doing that," he purred, his arms slithering around Dipper's hips. Dipper squirmed but the stronger boy kept him in place. 

Bill's head dipped down until he met with Dipper's neck, and Dipper felt himself go rigid. So many times this boy has done this, but he never got used to it. It was always such a pleasant surprise. 

"Why do you always do that?" Dipper asked in curiosity.

"Do what?" Bill mumbled, his voice muffled by Dipper's neck.

"Put your head in my neck and stay like that. Do you have a neck fetish or something?" Dipper chuckled playfully, trying to pull apart from Bill. But once more, the boy kept him still. Dipper stopped writhing, knowing that it was completely hopeless.

"I don't know..." Bill trailed off. "I guess your neck is such a vulnerable spot for me. I don't know, kid, maybe I'm secretly a vampire like in one of Shooting Star's romance novels and I just want to suck your blood," he added teasingly.

"Oh shut up," Dipper moaned, finally pushing the boy away from his neck. 

Bill grinned down at him. "How are your memories going?"

It took a long while for Dipper to realize that he was talking about his amnesia from his first summer. "Wha-? Oh! Uh, I'm not remembering a lot of things. Especially recently. It's like they just stopped coming back because they were blocked out or something," Dipper mumbled, a little embarrassed to be sharing this to someone like Bill. But Bill didn't scold him or seemed disinterested, he actually seemed genuinely concerned as he looked down at Dipper.

"Then you should stop trying to get them back," Bill mumbled.

"What? Bill-"

"Those memories were probably erased for a reason. Maybe it was fate, or maybe it was just dumb luck. But Shooting Star knows exactly what happened to you, and I don't, but we both know that whatever happened should be forgotten, lost in the depths of your mind for good," Bill told him.

The way Bill said it, the way he proposed it, it all made Dipper...scared. "Bill, you don't understand, I want them _back._ I just want to-" Dipper strained out. 

"For the last time, _no!_ The next time I see you writing in that dumb journal of yours, I swear I'm throwing it out," Bill snarled angrily, his black pupils flashing with anger.

Dipper stepped back in confusion. "Bill, those are my memories, not yours. I just want them back!" Dipper argued weakly. Even his voice was as feeble as he felt.

"Those memories were never yours! Don't you ever listen to me?!" Bill shouted in frustration, taking a step towards Dipper. The time they practiced fighting downstairs in the living room came to mind, and Dipper tripped on a stray hanger on the floor, the floor thudding as his weight crashed down.

Bill stood over him, his eyes alight with something Dipper couldn't tell. He whimpered.

And suddenly, the inferno was gone, replaced by worry and concern in Bill's eyes. He knelt down beside Dipper, looking into his eyes with concern. "Whoa, jeez kid. What happened?" Bill asked in concern. As if he wasn't yelling at Dipper just a moment ago. 

"I- I thought you were going to hurt me again," Dipper stammered. Bill's face flashed with regret. He grimaced, one of his hands reaching over to Dipper's face before he thought better, letting it down by his side uselessly.

"That was a mistake I regret. An honest one. I wouldn't..." Bill trailed off. Bill reached over and kissed his forehead tenderly. The blond boy visibly swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. "I'm sorry if I scared you," he said in an undertone.

"It wasn't your fault," Dipper sighed. "It was just me and my stupid ideas. I know you wouldn't do things like that on purpose," Dipper assured him. He got up using his elbows, Bill helping him up with his arm. Bill smiled at him reassuringly, l

Their home phone rang downstairs. 

Dipper and Bill's heads whirled to his door. "Who is it now?" Bill grunted.

"Probably Mabel. I'll be right back," Dipper told him hurriedly. He stepped forward once, before being turned around and having lips be pressed against his forehead.

"Tell her I said hi," he said into Dipper's hair. Dipper nodded, squeezing Bill's hand before walking downstairs.

He jumped down the last step, spinning around to find the home phone. He picked it up, pressing a button on it, and held it to his ear. "'Ello?" he said into the phone.

"Yo, Bro-Bro!" chirped a cheery voice. Despite himself, he smiled at her voice.

"Mabel, hey! How are you?" he asked kindly.

"Doing good as always, Broseph. I actually just came back from hanging out with Pacifica," Mabel sang out.

"Oh, really? Does that mean you two made up?" Dipper inquired hopefully, leaning his shoulder against the kitchen door's frame.

"You betcha we did, Bro! Though she was puking up the whole time and I always had to clean up after her. Ha, she was never really a good drinker," Mabel snorted. 

Upstairs, something crashed, followed by Bill who said, "Nothing, nothing, Pine Tree! I just- oooh, what's thi-? Chip get out of the way!"

Dipper huffed, rolling his eyes. "Remember that cat I told you about?" Dipper said dryly.

"Mhm. Chip sounds so adorable!" Mabel cooed.

"Well, Bill can't wait for you to meet him, apparently. He says that you and Chip would get along pretty well," Dipper told his sister.

"I bet. A kitty with a triangle birthmark? Sign me the fuck up!" Mabel whooped. Dipper wanted to roll his eyes at his sister, but instead let out a bark of laughter. Mabel never failed to make him laugh before.

"Bill is being such a pain in the ass," Dipper complained to his sister, wanting to vent out to the person who was literally in the womb with him.

"I know, I could tell with the way you're walking," Mabel said breezily.

Dipper's mouth clamped shut, and his eye twitched. "You are like, where? In Pacifica's house, probably. How the hell would you-?!" Dipper cracked out. Mabel burst out laughing in the other end.

"Oh- oh my God! Ahahahahahaha! I- I was waiting to use that line for _weeks!_ I- I didn't think you- you actually-!" Mabel laughed out, her voice cutting off by her constant laughter. Dipper scowled. Shit. His cover has been blown.

"Oh my lord, my sweaters! They're- they're relevant now! Oh this is amazing!" Mabel giggled, her voice still cracking by her constant laughter. Dipper glowered at the floorboards beneath him. He needed to change the subject, and fast.

"Just curious before you hang up all over again, Sis. When the hell are you coming home?" Dipper asked, biting his lower lip. He needed to ask that now before she changed the subject and then abruptly hang up, like what she has done for the past few days.

"Hmm," she hummed, "probably tomorrow. Our Grunkles are coming over tomorrow morning, right? And I uh, of course have to go back to Piedmont. Better to hang out with my family for my last supper, huh?"

Dipper laughed softly. He completely forgot about the Stans. "Why?" he blurted.

"Why what, Bro?" Mabel said. In the background, someone called her name. "Oh uh, one second," Mabel told him. The other line became muffled, and all Dipper heard was Mabel talking with some other guy that sounded vaguely familiar. He shifted his weight from foot to foot.

"Sorry, Dip. Just a friend," Mabel apologized, her voice coming back to the phone a moment later. "What was that you were asking?"

"I was wondering why you keep ignoring the Shack like this. I mean, you still talk to me and all but...do you not want to hang out with me for your last few days here?" Dipper asked, his voice oddly strained. It might have cracked, but Dipper's ears were all on Mabel's voice, waiting for her to respond. His free hand fidgeted with the hem of his navy blue suit jacket, and his weight shifted from side to side. His ankle was still tender from the crash almost two weeks ago, but he could barely tell it sprained once. 

"What? Dipper, God no! You're my twin! I just- I have other friends, you know? I need to catch up with them more than I need to catch up with you. And I mean, besides, you have Bill. I don't have anyone," Mabel assured him, her voice getting quieter with each word. Dipper bit down on his bottom lip and chewed.

"Every time we talk, you always hang up a minute later. Can't you spend at least five minutes with me, face to face, other than on the phone?" Dipper asked. He didn't care if he sounded like a spoiled brat. He just missed his twin.

Mabel was awfully quiet on the other end. Someone shouted at her once more, and Mabel sighed. "Dip, I have to go. I promise I'll see you tomorrow. And uh, I have a letter ready for you. I have one for Bill too. You'll get them when you get to the diner," she told him.

"Diner? Mabel, how did you-?" Dipper began in disbelief.

"Bill told me what you guys were up to late last night at like, four. I didn't think anyone would pick up the phone," Mabel laughed.

"Why were you calling at-?" Dipper started, his eyebrows rose high. 

"You ask a lot of questions, you know that, Dip? It'll be in my letters! _Bye_!" she sang out merrily, drawing out the word 'bye'. Then the phone clicked, and Mabel was gone.

Dipper pressed a button on the phone, grunting in frustration as he put the phone back into place beside him. 

"So what's going in Shooting Star's life?" Bill asked casually, walking down the stairs with a hand running through his already-messy hair.

"Weird, as always. She made up with Pacifica. Although they might have went drinking. Pacifica was puking all night long," Dipper told his boyfriend, looking for his phone on the couch. He flipped one of the cushions up to find it.

When Bill didn't respond or make a snarky comment, Dipper looked up in surprise. Bill never passed up a chance to make fun of Pacifica. The boy, who should be scowling and glowering at the ground at the mention of Mabel's girlfriend, was smiling softly at the window behind Dipper instead.

Dipper turned around to see what he was looking it. It was just the shiny blue sky, lit up with a million sparkling stars. "I'm glad," Bill said, his voice hushed, "they get to have their happily ever after as we do."

* * *

"How do you even pronounce this? Ali...got? Just aligot?" Bill asked in confusion, tilting his head slightly to the side as he looked at the menu. 

"Yes. Mashed potatoes with melted cheese and garlic. It's good, I guess," Dipper told him, plucking the menu out of his hands to turn it right-side up. Bill grinned sheepishly.

"Then we'll get that," Bill chirped.

"You've said that for every single dish your eyes landed on," Dipper said with a roll of his eyes.

"Then I'll buy everything for you. I don't even know what you want," Bill shot back.

"Chicken, mozzarella sticks, fries, and that's pretty much it," Dipper said airily. Bill raised his eyebrows. "What?" he asked.

"That's it? Kid, we're in a five star restaurant with gold to spend. Buy anything you want," Bill coaxed.

"I'm not that hungry. I'm fine, really," Dipper blinked. Why was Bill so insistent today?

"Ugh," Bill groaned, "fine, have it your way. We're ordering everything off the menu."

"Wha- Bill! We can't finish all that!" Dipper argued. Bill huffed, setting his menu down to the table and closing it.

"I know. That's why you give it to people who are less fortunate. Jeez, are you guys too lazy to just go outside and give it to someone instead of throwing perfectly edible food away? That's why your ecosystem is going down the drain!" Bill ranted. 

"Bill, we can't just _buy_ everything. We wouldn't even be able to finish half of it, and the food will go rotten before it even reaches anyone else," Dipper told his angered boyfriend. Bill sighed, his bottom lip jutting out like a spoiled child being told they couldn't have the newest phone.

"Fine, whatever," Bill grumbled, "chicken, mozz- whatever, fries, and drinks. Iced tea?" Dipper nodded.

"Good! Now that's over with, we just have to wait for the waiter!" Bill said. Dipper put down his menu on the table before him. Around them, waiters and people alike were walking about, chatting among themselves like any other person would. Dipper almost felt like a black sheep, even with his suit on. Everyone here just seemed so _fancy,_  with their five hundred dollar purses and diamond wedding rings. They all sat up straight, a snotty laugh escaping from them once in a while. Compared to them, Dipper was basically a country boy in a sea of rich folks.

"Pine Tree? Hellooo? Pine Tree to Earth? Wait, is that how you say-? Pine Tree!" Bill shouted, snapping his fingers in front of Dipper.

"What, Bill?" Dipper asked, a little annoyed. Bill frowned at him.

"Why are you acting so distant today?" Bill asked him. Dipper gave him a look.

"I was going to ask why you were acting so cheerful lately," Dipper replied. Bill grinned at him.

"You never know, maybe I'm just happy to be with my love," Bill purred. Dipper rolled his eyes. 

"And maybe I'm just having a bad day. Everyone has them," Dipper told him. Bill's brow furrowed in concern.

"Bad day? You should've told me you didn't like doing all those things with me, Pine Tree. I would never force you to-"

"No, no. That uh, came out wrong," Dipper cut off hurriedly. He mentally facepalmed himself. Of course he liked hanging out with Bill for the past week! It was the most fun he had in a long time! It was just that, well, the more he hang out with Bill, the more his heart felt, well... _distant_.

And it didn't help that Bill was becoming more and more cheerful and gentle as they spent time together.

"Bill, I seriously don't know why I'm acting distant. Maybe it's just the stress of work. Just- lay off it, okay?" Dipper asked in a tired tone. Bill's frown deepened.

"Pine Tree, are you sure you're-?" 

 _"I said I'm fine!"_ Dipper snapped.

Their table became quiet, Bill's eyebrows shot up high in surprise. A flash of hurt came through his eyes, before they were replaced by a gentle look of concern. No, _no_. That can't be right. Bill always looked cold when he was offended. He never- he would never look concerned about anyone, even towards Dipper. A cold touch ran through Dipper's spine. What was going _on?_

"Bill, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-" Dipper pleaded.

"Hello, welcome to the Gravity Falls Diner! How are you guys doing this evening?" a cheery voice asked.

Dipper's head craned to his right, and he almost gasped in surprise. Before him was a stout, flabby boy who seemed to be a little bit younger than he was. Freckles coated the boy's face as his head stayed down to look at his notepad, his hand positioned over it with a pencil while he waited for their answer. His hair was plumped up, a giant white pompadour almost as big as his head, though over the years it gradually shrank. His upturned nose made him look a bit like a pig, but otherwise the kid's 'cuteness' was still there to be worshiped upon by cooing adults. Gideon Gleeful was their server.

"Gideon?" Dipper squeaked out. Gideon's head snapped up at his voice.

His eyes landed on Dipper's, a look of confusion on his face. But then when he realized who he was serving was, his eyes lit up with joy. "Oh, Dipper Pines! It's so nice to see you!" Gideon drawled, his Southern American accent still thick to the touch. Bill watched their conversation with raised eyebrows.

"How's Mabel? Is she doing alright without me? Oh, I bet she still has my poster up on her wall, doesn't she?" Gideon asked excitedly, still the same kid Dipper saw once in a while around town when they were younger. But recently, Dipper couldn't find the white-haired kid around, and assumed he moved away.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, Gideon. She's dating Pacifica," Dipper said bluntly. Gideon blinked in surprise.

"Pacifica Northwest! Oooh, that is some news right there! I'm glad they're together finally!" Gideon cheered.

"I thought you wanted Mabel for your own?" Dipper asked in disbelief. He honestly thought the kid would scowl and swear revenge against Pacifica.

"Yeah, yeah, sure. But do you know how long I wanted her and Pacifica to be together? Oh damn, they were the dream couple everyone wanted!" Gideon cooed. Bill and Dipper glanced at each other.

"What are you talking about?" Dipper asked in confusion. Gideon was making no sense. 

"Wait, you seriously-?" Gideon gasped. "Dipper!" he scolded, clucking his tongue and shaking his head.

"Yeah, Pi- Pine Cone, why wouldn't you know?" Bill scolded as well. Dipper gave him a scowl. _Pine Cone?_ he thought. Bill grinned.

"Your sister and Pacifica has been the 'it' couple ever since they started hanging out. No one were really sure if they were dating, but everyone could agree they were perfect for each other!" Gideon cooed. He added, "for one, they got matching tattoos on their shoulder blades. Mabel has a crown, Pacifica has a shooting star, which I find very endearing. Secondly, I heard they promised to adopt at least two children when they never find their soulmates- can you say aw? Then I heard they went to Paris together for their third year 'friendship' anniversary. Ha, I knew it wasn't just their friendship! They were-!"

"Whoa, slow down, Gideon. They have...tattoos?" Dipper asked in surprise. He blinked once. Then twice. Since when did Mabel get _tattoos?_ And how come she never told him?

"Of course! They always show it off at the pool with their strapless swimsuits. Christ, Dipper, are you positive you're her twin?" Gideon scolded. 

Dipper's head swam. Mabel wanted _kids?_  She had a tattoo? She went to _Paris_ and never told Dipper?! That must have been the time she went to 'art school' for two months then. Dipper scowled, his back sliding against the chair. They were twins for God's sake! How could she keep things like this from him? What else was she keeping?

"Anyway, I'll chit-chat with you later, Dipper. I'm here as your server, not to catch up on good times. So what can I getcha?" Gideon asked them, holding up his notepad. Dipper opened his mouth to respond, but the boy across from him already beat him to it.

"We'll get two iced teas to start off with. Bring a pitcher of it here. For our appetizers I want mozzarella sticks, shrimp, and garlic bread. For our main courses I want chicken, fries, rice at the side, and of course gravy with it as well. I'll ask for more when we finish," Bill told Gideon casually. Their waiter wrote down everything furiously on his notepad, his upturned nose wrinkling in concentration. 

"Okay, we'll have your food ready in half an hour. Your drinks will be over shortly," Gideon told them, putting his pencil over his ear.

"Thanks, Gideon," Dipper thanked. Gideon smiled kindly.

"No problem. I'll make sure to have the food over faster than anyone else's. I'd do anything for the Pines," Gideon said. His eyes flickered over to Bill. "Just a question," he added, pointing his pen at Bill, "who is this?"

"Oh, that's B-" Dipper began.

"-a friend of the Pines," Bill said with a dazzling, convincing smile. He reached over and shook hands with Gideon. "And uh, speaking of the Northwests, have you heard anything about them? They say Gideon Gleeful has the best gossip around town," Bill spoke again, making Gideon smile with a blush creeping up his face. Gideon laughed modestly.

"Oh, you know the town folks. Always going to me for advice and such. I'm not _that_ big of a star here," Gideon said humbly.

"So any news?" Bill pressed.

"Why, of course! In fact, the Northwests were just here two hours ago!" Gideon told them. That got both Bill and Dipper's attention. Dipper could've sworn he saw his boyfriend lean forward.

"They actually requested for a private table," Gideon told them, his eyes upwards as he tapped his chin in thought, "so we gave them one, just around the corner from here, away from everyone. We can't say no to the Northwests, now could we? Sadly, I wasn't their waiter and I wasn't close enough to eavesdrop, but I could read faces and expressions as clear as day. After all, I _was_ a psychic back in the day. Pacifica looked very, very sick, I must say. They ordered a lot of things as well. Oh, her parents looked _thrilled!_ But I can't really say why. And poor Pacifica looked trapped and miserable, and I wished I could've went over and talked to her. After all, we were old buddies. Seeing her so sick like that made my Lil' Gideon heart squeeze."

Dipper's eyebrows shot up. He looked over to Bill, curious to see what the boy thought of it. But Bill was smiling softly, not looking confused or weirded-out by the information that was just given. It was like when Dipper told him about Mabel and Pacifica making up. He seemed content.

"So she was craving a lot?" Bill asked curiously.

"Yes, yes of course. She craved a lot of spicy food and lemon. Heck, she combined a bunch of weird foods together to her request. Her parents seemed happier each time she ate," Gideon said, frowning to himself. "Although, while her parents looked ecstatic to whatever extent, Pacifica was crying. I don't know why," Gideon muttered.

Dipper frowned in concern. He bet that Pacifica was being pressured again by her parents, to probably go on another business trip or such. But that didn't explain the food cravings. Bill, in front of him, was still smiling. And was it just Dipper or did Bill's smile widened?

"Thank you, Gideon. I'll tip you as much as I can," Bill told Gideon.

"What? Oh, thank you! Honestly though, I'm just serving as a waiter here because I want to. I have all the money I need, I'm just here to help out," Gideon assured him.

"No, no. I have to. You've been a kind waiter, and you've given me the information I need," Bill told him, smiling and reaching over to shake Gideon's hand again.

"Oh, and before I forget!" Gideon said, right before he turned around and walked away. He reached into his apron, pulling out two envelopes and setting it down on their table. "Mabel called me up briefly warning me that the two of you were coming. That girl Candy came over to my house to deliver these and told me to give them to you at your dinner, requested specifically by Mabel," Gideon told them. Gideon waved them goodbye, leaving them to look at the envelopes on their table.

The envelopes were cream-coloured, a stamp of a childish star on the flaps. Each of their names were handwritten on the right corner, the words, 'From your friendly neighborhood Mabel' were right below it. It was _so_ _Mabel_ that Dipper almost snorted. 

Bill reached over with a hesitant hand and took his. "Well kid, we might as well open these now before the temptation eats us alive, huh?" Bill chuckled, opening his flap.

"Bill, I don't know, shouldn't we eat first?" Dipper asked him.

"The envelopes won't change anything, Love. She's just going to explain why she was gone for the past few days. The temptation will eat _us_ before we could eat our food," Bill lectured. Dipper sighed through his nose.

He rubbed his sore eye-lid, the one with the glass eye in it, blinking his eyelid so the glass eye could stay in place. He really wished Gideon didn't give it to them until after they finished eating. But Bill had a point, and his stomach was churning with anticipation. 

"Well, fine, I guess we can-" Dipper said weakly.

"Great! You open yours and I'll open my mine. Race you!" Bill cut off, opening the flap of his letter almost immediately. Bill took the letter inside out, unfolding it and sticking his tongue out while he read. Dipper sighed, taking his off the table.

Dipper ran a nail through the flap, opening it with a crackly pop of paper being ripped. He slid out the paper, unfolding the white sheet. He squinted, and began reading.

_Hey Bro!_

_I know you're at the diner with your -wink wink- boyfriend right now, and I hope you're enjoying it! But, I really need to talk to you, Dipper._

Dipper's brow furrowed. His thumb ran over the hand-written ink, the ink staining his finger. It was new. And he could tell Mabel was trying her hardest to sound optimistic in her letter.

_I know you're confused and a little angry at me for not returning to the Shack. And **I** get that. I really do. I would be the same way if it were you running away and never returning home with so much as a three **m** inute phone call a day. But I had to. I can't look at you in the face and call you my brother. It's disgusting._

_Why the hell would I call you my brother, after everything you've done? You did this to me, **D** ipper. **Y** ou crashed us, and you didn't even bother to think I was affected as well other than bringing me to that diner. After that, all you did was hang out with Bill. Bill, Bill, BILL! It was always Bill with you!_

_Bill d **i** d this, Bill did that, oh Bill is so cute! Do you ever bother to thi **n** k once that Bill mi **g** ht not feel the same way for you?_

_I know I sound cruel right now, Dipper, and I'm trying my best not to. I re-wrote this letter eight times already. But no matter how **h** ard I try, I always s **e** em angry. So, **I** 'll re-write this in a way that I wanted to. I'm going to try and make you see, Dipper, that everything you've done will backfire against you._

_Do you know why I'm even leaving? I'm leaving because of you._

_Dipper **P** ines, you are the most selfish, **m** ost greedy, and most narrow p **e** rson I've ever met **.** **I** know for a fact that you only care about is yourself and your own we **l** l-being, and never **o** nce ha **v** e you thought about anyon **e** else but you or Bill. Hell, do you even know what Bill is?_

_He's using you. He's using **y** ou, Dipper, and y **o** u honestly can't see that? _ _It's obnoxious watching yo **u** and him, Dipper. Of all people, why him? Why Bill Cipher? _

_**I** bet you didn't even know I was already back in Pied **m** ont, didn't you?_

_You're honestly the wor **s** t br **o** ther I have ever met in my entire life. You only cared for your **s** elf and y **o** ur p **r** ince charming. You neve **r** reall **y** truly cared about me, or our Grunkles, or even our parents, did you? It was only you and Bill in your perfect little world, and now you're living it._

_Congratulations, Dipper._

_You lost me._

Dipper gritted his teeth, folding the letter almost angrily and stuffing it back into the envelope. His eye clouded over with angry tears and he blinked it away as best as he could. His breathing shuddered as he took in a deep breath. Then another. And then another.

His fists unclenched and clenched in his lap as he looked at the table, looking at the now slightly-crumpled letter on it. What the _hell?_

Why would Mabel say things like that? Was she seriously so scared to not face him and just write it in a letter? _Seriously?_ She seriously had the guts to call him selfish when all she ever did for the past week was be selfish herself?

Dipper's nails dug into his palms, focusing his attention on the pain of it instead of the pain that came with the letter. Sweet, sweet Mabel. Why would someone as optimistic and happy as her write something like that? Did he fuck up so bad that he made the one girl that was considered the hardest to break apart to crack?

Dipper, when he regained a little bit of himself, finally looked up. And sitting there across from him with shaking hands clutched tightly to his own letter, was a pale-faced Bill.

"She called you selfish, I'm guessing?" Dipper said dryly.

"What? No, no, just-" Bill breathed, his hands still trembling as he set down the letter in front of him. "This is unbelievable. I...didn't know." His unsteady look turned into one of anger, and that was all Dipper needed to snap. 

"So did I," Dipper snapped, "I guess that makes two of us." 

Bill looked over at him, swallowing down a heavy breath. His face slowly came back to looking neutral, the look of what Bill Cipher was used to. "Why are you so angry? I'd get it if you're upset, Pine Tree, but there's no need in-" Bill began. 

"You think I wouldn't be angry at what she just called us?" Dipper roared. His fist slammed on the table, and Bill didn't even flinch, but a look of a grimace set on his face. "Pine Tree, it's alright, she was just-" Bill soothed.

Dipper cut him off with a dry laugh. "I lost her. We lost her. And she has the nerve to say _that_?" Dipper laughed again, his hand shaking slightly on the table. Bill frowned at him.

"She was just trying to tell us what was going on, Love. She was too scared to say it in front of us," Bill told him. Oh great, now  _he_ was on her side?

"If she's so scared, why the hell would she say _that_ to me? I'm her brother, her twin, and then suddenly she vanishes for god knows how long and then send me a letter saying all that about you and me? She doesn't know my personal life! She doesn't know yours! So why is it that she keeps wanting you and I out?!" Dipper shouted angrily, his voice hushed enough for only their table to hear, but loud enough that it made Bill frown deeper.

"Pine Tree, calm down. You're overreacting. Shooting Star needs time alo-" Bill soothed. 

"Alone? She's had time alone for the past week!" Dipper argued, running a hand angrily through his mess of a hair.

"Pine Tree-" Bill sighed, his tone edged with warning. 

" _I hate her!_ I wished she just vanished off this Earth! Why is she even here in the first place, to make my life significantly harder? Mabel Pines is the most revolting girl I've ever met in my entire life, and I have the unfortunate luck to have her as my _twin_!" Dipper growled, pulling at his hair.

Bill clamped his mouth shut, his eyes on Dipper as Dipper ticked, his hands pulling at his hair and his leg shaking out of nervousness. Bill's eyes drooped slightly, narrowed at him in confused anger. "It wasn't her fault," he whispered. 

"Wasn't her fault? Bill, are you listening to yourself right now? Fuck!" Dipper snarled, putting his forehead against the cool table. He wrapped his hands around the nape of his neck and stayed in that position, not caring if he looked weird or troubled to people around them. _Wasn't her fault_. He almost snorted and laughed at the concept. But at the same time, he wanted to cry.

He didn't want to look at the letter again. He was too scared that if he did, he'd fall apart. 

And what was that bit about her in Piedmont already?

A soft touch of a hand found its way on Dipper's shoulder, but Dipper didn't move. "Go away. Call me when the food is ready," Dipper grumbled, burying his head deeper into the table. Bill laughed softly at his antics. 

"I was going to wait until after dinner, but I think you need it now more than I do," Bill said in an undertone.

"Bill, not now. I-" Dipper mumbled.

"You need to lighten up, Pine Tree. How can I be happy when you're clearly not?" Bill asked, squeezing his shoulder gently. Dipper looked up, bleary-eyed from the close tears coming into his one working eye.

"Nothing can cheer me up right now," Dipper told him.

"You'll be surprised. Maybe even just for a little bit, you'll forget about her. Just a little while is enough for me," Bill told him, reaching out a hand. With a hesitant stare at Bill's healing hand, Dipper stood up with his help.

"But the food-" Dipper argued.

"We'll come back later. I just want to show you something," Bill told him. He kissed Dipper's cheek softly. 

"I want to tell you something before I wimp out," Bill continued, his eyes unnaturally worried. But maybe it was just a trick on Dipper's eye.

Before they slipped out, Bill put a piece of paper on their table, grabbing Mabel's letters and stuffing it into his pocket. 

* * *

Dipper hauled himself upwards, grunting under his breath.

His hands were red as he brought himself up the mountain. "Tell me again why you chose to bring me to the _mountain_ ," Dipper scowled, patting off his knees as some pebbles stuck there. His slacks were dirty and mud-stricken now, and Bill was to be blamed for it. 

"It's the highest point in Gravity Falls, kid. What did you expect?" Bill chirped, swinging himself up another cliff. They were almost there, at least. Where "there" was, Dipper didn't know.

"Is there a particular reason why we're up on a mountain?" Dipper inquired. Bill reached out and grabbed his elbow, hoisting him up the ledge he was on. Thankfully, unlike his sister, he wasn't afraid of heights, and the wind whipping around his hair actually calmed him down. If he didn't look down, he'd be fine. 

"To go somewhere private. Duh," Bill said bluntly, once again scaling up the side of the mountain. They were on an almost vertical side of it, so scaling wasn't really the word. Just more like walking. Dipper followed suit, his hands digging into the earth as he heaved himself onward, trying his best not to seem like he needed help just so Bill could stop nagging and tailing behind like he did before. 

"You know, there are a hundred places in Gravity Falls that's more private than a mountain, Bill. For example, the Shack. It's empty excluding the cat, but you can just leave it out if that's your thing," Dipper pointed out vaguely. The way Bill was acting today was making him a little nervous. He had never seen the boy look so excited and agitated at the same time. 

Bill turned around and looked down at him with a smirk playing on his lips. "We can go back to the Shack to do more private things later. Just try and hold it in until then, alright?" Bill purred, his eyes twinkling with amusement and lust. Dipper coughed into his hand, his face turning to the color of a tomato.

"T- that's not what I-" he stammered.

"Oh, calm down, Pine Cone. I know what you mean," Bill assured him. But the lust never left his eyes. "Although I wouldn't mind it."

"Bill, you horn dog," Dipper laughed, charging forward and hitting the side of Bill's head.

"What? Was that a yes I heard, Pine Cone?" Bill asked innocently, batting his eyelashes innocently.

"Since when did you evolve from calling me Pine Tree to Pine Cone?" Dipper wrinkled his nose. 

"Well, you're not wearing that silly hat anymore, so I guess it's time for a change in nicknames, don't you think? So, yes or no?" Bill asked, the subject changing faster than Dipper's clothing style.

"Hmm," Dipper hummed, pretending to think, "maybe. Maybe not."

"Oh, come on! It'll be fun!" Bill whined. Finally, _finally_ they reached the top of the mountain. Thankfully too. Dipper didn't know what he'd do if Bill kept going.

Dipper patted his legs off, crashing against a tree on top of the mountain with a sigh through the nose. The city before them was lit up, the lights bright against the dark sky. Bill sat down heavily beside him, the boy letting out a heave through the nose as he did so.

"The town's smaller up here, isn't it?" Bill breathed.

"Yeah," Dipper breathed, "sometimes I forget Gravity Falls is smaller than Piedmont. The city and the things in it always makes things seem so...bigger."

"Well, that's the magic of Gravity Falls for ya. That's why I chose to come here. It's much more extraordinary than anywhere else," Bill told him. He leaned against the tree behind them, his arms crossed over his chest. Almost as if Dipper was being pulled back, he did the same, leaning against the tree with their arms slightly touching.

Bill's arm snaked around his shoulders, like a cheesy scene from a movie. And because Dipper couldn't resist, and since he already felt a little sleepy, Dipper put his head on his shoulder.

"You know, if someone told me a few years back that I'd fall for you, I would've laughed and changed their face into a monkey or something," Bill chuckled. 

"And if someone told _me_  that I'd fall in love in Gravity Falls in general I'd....well, I don't know what I'd do, I would've never believed them," Dipper admitted truthfully.

"Love does wonders, doesn't it, Love?" Bill grinned, his arm around Dipper squeezing. 

Dipper craned his neck to look at him. "Yeah," he whispered, "it does."

Bill smiled kindly at him. He dipped his head towards Dipper until their foreheads touched. Dipper's breath hitched in his chest. Weeks after days after hours they were together, and in those weeks Bill made him feel like the happiest man on Earth, as well as the most flustered. He knew without a doubt that even in their forties, Bill would still be able to make him like this, flustered and embarrassed, despite his actions being done countless times. Bill laughed softly, his minty breath fanning Dipper's face. 

" _Ich glaube, ich habe mich in dich verliebt_ ," Bill whispered, his eyes searching Dipper's.

Dipper fought back a laugh. "I have no idea what you just said," Dipper pointed out. Bill grinned. "Exactly," he said, his voice husky with fervor. Bill played with the back of Dipper's neck, tugging on his curls. Dipper finally laughed at Bill's touch. The blond boy's grin faded into a soft smile, his eyes never leaving his lover's face.

" _Du hast wunderschöne Augen_ ," Bill whispered. "They're so brown. It reminds me of chocolate. And...you."

"Stop it. You're making me feel dumb with your German phrases," Dipper whined, his nose wrinkling. Bill laughed, his body turned around fully to face Dipper. The boy took Dipper's face in his hands, his thumbs making circles there. One of his thumbs found Dipper's scar on his cheek, left by Tad. Bill ran his finger over it softly, like he was afraid he was going to hurt the brown-haired boy. Dipper shivered, and he slowly closed his eyes. 

 _"Kann ich einen Kuss haben?"_ Bill asked, a tone of hopefulness in his voice. Dipper laughed, his eyes still closed. He pressed his forehead against Bill's, trying to make sense of his words. He didn't know one lick of German, but the power and demand behind Bill's words at least gave him a clue.

And then they were kissing.

He didn't know how it happen, nor did he particularly care, but Dipper was sitting on Bill's lap, the both of them making out to their heart's consent. Weeks, days, hours, it didn't matter to them. It was just the two of them, alone and in love. 

Bill had his arms wrapped around Dipper's waist to keep him in place, and Dipper's arms were around his angel's neck, holding him closer to his face. Their lips moved softly, as if they wanted it to last longer, to last a lifetime. They only broke apart to breathe, and then they'd be together again, lost in each others' senses. Dipper felt like it was only them in the world, just two kids trying to leave the aggression of their lives behind. His eyes were half-lidded in desire, his hands snaking to the back of Bill's head and tangling itself in Bill's curls.

" _Du bedeutest alles für mich_ ," Bill mumbled, pulling apart briefly to say those words. Dipper couldn't understand it of course, but the way Bill said those words made his heart melt. And seeing the way his words affected Dipper, Bill smiled and kissed his forehead.

" _Du bist die Liebe meines Lebens,_ " Bill murmured. He kissed Dipper, his hands roaming underneath Dipper's suit in a lover's caress. 

" _Ich vermisse dich so sehr._ " Another kiss, and Dipper was melting under his touch.

" _Du machst mich so glucklich._ " Dipper played with Bill's hair, their kisses becoming more and more yearning, like two lovers who couldn't get enough of each other. Dipper let out a soft moan when Bill nipped his ear, the boy's hands playing with the hem of his shirt. 

" _Mein Herz gehört dir,_ " Bill whispered, his voice tickling Dipper's ear, "you may choose to do whatever you want with it."

Dipper shivered at his words, loving how quickly Bill changed from German to English. His voice was huskier, lower and more desired, like he was doing it on purpose to make Dipper's heart feel like fire. And it was working.

Bill stopped kissing him for a moment, his head pulling back so he could see Dipper in the eyes. He ran a thumb over Dipper's swollen and red lips, red from their make out session. Dipper almost laughed when Bill's brow pulled together in concentration, like a cute little boy trying to figure something out.

But before Dipper can, Bill dipped back his head towards him and kissed his soft lips once more. But his kiss wasn't like the others. It was lingering, almost afraid at the touch. But the kindness and love was still there, and Dipper still shuddered in delight. 

And this time, it was Bill who pulled back. 

He pressed his forehead against Dipper's, his breathing coming softly through his mouth. They stayed like that for god knows how long, just lost in the moment as two young love birds should be. 

" _Ich liebe Dich_ ," Bill whispered, his voice oddly strained. 

Dipper's breath caught in his throat. He didn't know German, but he wasn't an idiot. His body went rigid under Bill's hands, and Bill soothed him down by rubbing patterns on his back. "Say it," Dipper breathed, "say it in English. _Please_."

Bill laughed softly at his plea. He nuzzled Dipper's neck. "Why?" he mumbled, his voice muted by Dipper's neck.

"I want to know. You sounded really..." Dipper trailed off.  _Scared. Terrified. Defeated,_ were some of the adjectives he would've used to describe it.

Bill's head lifted up, and his eyes sparkled with lust. No, not lust- love. Because Bill loved him, and Dipper couldn't see that until now. 

" _I love you_ ," he whispered, "it means I love you."

Dipper's heart ached in his chest, and he closed his eyes. He leaned his forehead against Bill's, feeling the boy under him relax, his hands on Dipper's back slowly coming down. His heart suddenly felt heavy in his chest, and a searing pain went through for a good two seconds. It caused his eye to tear up, but he blinked them away before Bill could see. The feeling was fiery and scalding, like his heart was being pulled apart using a white-hot rod. His hands left Bill's hair, dropping over to his neck. 

"I know," Dipper whispered back.

And in a blink, Bill's eyes were filled with agony and grief. But then they were gone the next moment after, so fast that Dipper wondered that if it was even there.

Dipper, finding no fault in his words, pulled Bill closer to him and kissed him, a reassuring kiss that said that Bill still had him. He never left. But Bill kissed back almost unemotionally, the passion gone with a question hanging over them like a blanket.

Bill pulled back from Dipper's kiss, a look on his face that made Dipper's brow furrow in confusion. What did he do?

"Say it," Bill begged, "say it back."

Dipper's brow furrowed tighter. His hands left Bill's neck, leaving his hands over to Bill's chest, his palms pressing against Bill's cool skin. "Bill, what do you-?" he began.

"Don't you love me back?" Bill asked him, his voice almost hysterical and pleading, like Dipper was slipping in between his fingers. Dipper looked at him in mere confusion, confused by the boy's agitated behavior. "Don't you, Dipper?"

Dipper flinched at his name. A name Bill promised to never say unless Dipper wasn't his anymore. What made Bill so crazy that it made him think Dipper was gone? He was still here. He still wanted Bill, more than anything. But...something was missing. Something in Dipper's heart that made him confused by the scene unfolded in front of him.

"Dipper, love me back," Bill pleaded.

"Why would I love you back?"

The words tumbled out of his mouth faster than his brain could catch up, and he shut his mouth in an instant. Bill's jaw clenched, his eyes searching Dipper's for a sign, for a glimpse of the old Dipper he knew. But Dipper wasn't there anymore, and he knew Bill could sense that. They both weren't themselves. And it was worrying the other more than it should.

Dipper got off of his lap in an instant, Bill's hands twitching to reach back to him, but he knew it was hopeless. "Bill, I'm sorry. I didn't know what happened," Dipper tumbled out. Bill's eyes were a look of hurt and distress, so much like a lost puppy's that Dipper's heart stopped in his chest. The blond angel sat up straighter against the tree, looking at Dipper like he didn't know what happened either. Both could agree that they were as lost as the other in this situation.

"It's not your fault, Dipper. It was mine. I shouldn't have said that.  I should've known you wouldn't say it back. I mean, we just met a few weeks ago," Bill let out, his voice quaking. From fear, or anger, or disappointment, Dipper couldn't tell. Maybe all three. Bill laughed, as if trying to make up for his irrational behavior. Yet it only made him sound crazier.

"Bill, really, I didn't mean-" Dipper started, his eyes wide with panic. What was going on?

Abruptly and out of nowhere, Dipper's head was slammed against the tree right beside Bill.

His vision blackened for a good few seconds before he blinked away the stars, his vision swimming with the impact caused to the side of his head. His head was slammed sideways against the bark of a pine tree, and he could've sworn he felt warm, slick blood run down the side of his face as smooth as water.

 _"DON'T TOUCH HIM!"_  Bill roared, and the pressure against the side of Dipper's head left.

Dipper fell down to his knees heavily, his knees clacking to the ground like old stones as he braced his arms against the now bloody pine tree to his side. He heard a dull chink of a knife, and a gasp escaping a person's lips.

Dipper looked up, blinking the nausea away. A man, someone he couldn't recognize with his bleary eye, was on the floor, blood collecting beneath him like a pool of paint.

The brunet fell backwards in surprise, his butt falling against the hard mountain soil. His back reached the pine tree behind him, and an agonized scream filled the air. It was loud, screeching, like a bird's call from above. But it was not a bird, but a man.

A man twice as big as Bill, but still taken down by the boy with red, crimson eyes. His jaw cracked and squeezed, Bill's hand inside his mouth as the blond boy pulled downwards, his other arm around the bigger man's waist to keep him steady while he unhinged the jaw from his face. And the jaw broke free with a sickening snap that reminded Dipper of a large twig being broken under a heel, and Bill let the man fall to the floor.

Behind him, another, skinnier man charged forward, grabbing Bill around the shoulders. But the attempt went up in vain, and a flash of silver went through the skinny man's eye, the man howling and screaming in pain as he tried to dig out the dagger from his face. But Bill did it for him, grabbing the bloody hilt and pulled out with a sickening slosh, stabbing him once more and twisting the knife for good measure. He pulled out the knife again with an empty look. He didn't do it out of misery- he did it to get the knife back.

Dipper threw up beside him, right near where the dead man laid. Bile scratched his throat, and he puked up more and more until all that was left on the ground was a pool of yellow acid. He wiped his mouth, his hand shaking.

He couldn't bare to look up. He didn't want to. The only time he had ever seen Bill like this was when he was about to killed by Tad. But even then Bill was a little civilized. But now...

A wail of agony filled the air as Bill broke a tendon, then pulled out a eye with the flat side of his knife, then ultimately killed the man. All the while, Bill was stone-faced, not even blinking at the screams of agony the men let loose, their vocal cords ripping as Bill pulled them out from their necks. 

This went on for a good minute, with Dipper's head in his hands while he silently cried, trying to block out the noises from the outside world. A scream, followed by begging, followed by a chink of a knife or a crack of a skull. Then it repeated. And went on, and on, and on.

Dipper sobbed in his lap, his hands coming over his ears. He rocked back and forth, but the noises never left, even when they were gone. He could feel his brain cracking under the screams, the shouts, the begging, the shrieking. His heart hammered hard in his chest and he couldn't but feel like he was next, that those screams would soon be his and his own blood would splatter the grass.

And they were all caused by a devil.

"Pine Tree. Pine Tree. _Pine Tree! Look at me,"_ a voice commanded. Dipper's ears still rang with the screams of torture and torment. And if he was unlucky enough, he could be next. He had to be next. Maybe Bill was doing this so Dipper could be killed for last, that Dipper was nothing more than a sacrifice and vent for anger.

And when Dipper didn't look up, a gentle hand came under his chin and forced him to look up into the eyes of the person he was in love with with. Dipper whimpered, a low sound escaping his lips like a plea to be let go.

"You have to run," Bill told him, his eyes searching Dipper's face.

"I- I can't," Dipper whimpered. 

"Yes, you can. You can and you will," Bill snapped. He forced Dipper up to his feet, and looking at him properly, Dipper realized there was fear behind those cold eyes.

"Bill-" Dipper sniffled. 

"IF YOU DON'T DO IT YOURSELF, THEN _I_ WILL!" Bill screamed, pushing Dipper backwards. He stumbled, and fell flat on his butt, his arms bracing behind him.

A piece of paper floated to his chest, and Dipper clutched it tightly, looking up with begging eyes. Because as much as destructive and cruel Bill was, Dipper had to face that he was in love, and there was no way he could stop it. "Wh- what about you? I can't-" Dipper stammered.

"I'll be fine. I always have been. But you won't. You can't fend for yourself against him," Bill snarled.

"Now run! Run and never come back up here!" Bill bellowed, his eyes flashing with anger.

Dipper scrambled up his feet, turning around to the way down to the mountain. But before he can, like always before, he was turned around by strong hands, lips crashing onto his. Unlike before and so many times before hand, this kiss was desperate and strong, different from their fluttering, light kisses.

Bill moved his lips, almost as if he couldn't have enough. But then Dipper was shoved back lightly, and Dipper blinked in surprise. Bill looked at him, the anger no longer coating his eyes. Blood splattered across his chest, his hands drenched in crimson, dark under the moonlight. And Dipper finally understood why Bill kissed him the way he did; that was the last kiss they might ever have.

And he realized with a gasp almost escaping his lips, that there was a column of darkness making their way over to them, unnatural and intimidating under the night sky.  

"I love you. Even if you don't love me back. Don't- don't come looking for me if I don't come back," Bill told him, his voice strained and weak.

"Bill-" Dipper whimpered, his hand holding tightly onto Bill's note.

"I did something incredibly wrong, Dipper. And I know my punishment will just add to it. I'll see you again some sunny day, okay? I don't want you being tangled up in my own mess," Bill cut off, his voice quiet. He flexed his fingers, droplets of blood falling to the floor. He smiled softly at Dipper, as if trying to convince the brunet that everything would be fine, that  _they_ would be fine. But his smile was wobbly, and it hid secrets and regrets that were hidden in plain sight.

Dipper stayed put, eyes begging Bill to let him stay, to run with him and leave all of this behind and everything made me okay again. But Bill was just as stubborn as him, and the blond slowly shook his head. They didn't speak. They didn't have to.  _I love you,_ Bill's eyes told him.  _More than anything in the world._

And because Dipper was a coward, because he couldn't bare to speak, he turned around and left. He ran down the mountain, stumbling and crashing like a newborn fawn, but he kept going for the sake of his lover's last wish. And he wished with all his heart that Bill was going to come back to him, that he was just overreacting about what was going on and he'd enter the Mystery Shack with not so much as a scratch on his cheek.

But the darkness above swallowed the mountain whole, and Dipper could've sworn he heard Bill yell in agony.

Dipper inhaled a deep breath, gulping down air as he reached the bottom of the mountain, tumbling and being sent straight against a tree. Cuts and bruises were all over his arms, but he didn't care.

Dipper ran to his car, opened the car door, and drove away, a nagging voice in his mind telling him that this was all his fault, that if he just said it back that Bill would be right beside him, singing a bawdy tune under his breath to piss him off. Dipper blinked, his hands tight on the wheel. 

But he couldn't drive away, not yet. Not until he saw what was written in the note. So he opened it up, and began reading. The words became progressively more and more scrawled as the poem went on, like Bill was having a hard time with writing the last few sentences. The ink became darker with each word, and some words became unreadable as it jumbled up to water, and Dipper realized too late that it was because of his tears, falling down like his heart.

_Dearest Pine Tree,_

_I must say you're a guarantee,_

_An absentee of my heart._

_I made this bucket list for you,_

_Just so your smile could no longer be blue._

_Each one has a reason,_

_I hope it wasn't overdone;_

_I made flower crowns for you, a ten out ten boy with a mighty pen._

_One hundred percent I'd choose you out of one hundred trillion galaxies, a dungeon of my soul like the games of the undead._

_You are the only music I want, the only muse from Piedmont. No piano, no staff, nothing to keep me up as your photograph. Bit by bit the notes play, fingers dance as forgotten memories lay at bay. Step by step, soon you'll learn, what you'll love may soon be what you yearn._

_That ice cream, as cold as my heart, but only you can be my biggest dream. The moonbeam from above, your self-esteem fits in a glove. If true love is what you wanted, take hold of my hand and I'll show you the barren of my beloved._

_The cat, a pet you never wanted. A regret of the heart, but soon you learned to fret. It reminds me of you, Love. So broken, trying to find something you couldn't see. Spoken so softly you couldn't hear, but you knew. You knew and you said so._

_Your heart, it's so cold. You broke me, you killed me. You stole me, and I couldn't have it back. Where are you? Where were you? All of it was a blur._

_Blood splatters the tree. My hands are like the mud of my family. I see their hearts. Oh, it was like the fine arts. Cold and rotten, like mine. Coaled and forgotten, a ballad of yours._

_They scream, oh such cold bloodstreams. It's like my serenade, a band-aid for a silver blade. I love it, darling. I can kill you like I can kill whom I chewed. I love the way their arms rip like a piece of tape, or how their skin cuts like a grape. Their vocal cords rip, like the slip of my hand. I laugh, I'm happy._

_But then I see you._

_You're scared._

_Of me._

_I begged on one knee for you to forgive me, a plea I never heard come out. Pine Tree, you're the only thing I need._

_I will bleed for you, to consume your greed until you love me back. I can see in your eyes, that you love me. But you think I'm a monster._

_A blue smile, an extra mile you came away._

_I let those doves go, let the shove in me take place. Because there was only one thing in my mind when I did this with you, and I feel as if I'd burst at the seams if I let you go. Above all, you're the only one who can do this to me five hundred years ago._

_I love you._

_But you do not love me._

A gunshot rang through the mountains.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The German phrases spoken by Bill are phrases my friend told me about, so I hope they're accurate! If you're German, please tell me. My friend should not be trusted with ;-;. 
> 
> Also, thank you Erica for drawing their tattoos! I freaking love it, hell motherfucking yeah! 
> 
> Please don't kill me for the rest of the story.


	30. Polarized Parallel

_"They **s** ay it's what you make, I say it's up to fate_  
_It's wov **e** n in my soul_  
_I need to let you go_  
_Your eyes, they shine so bright_  
_I wanna sa **v** e that light_  
_I can't escape this now_  
_Unless you show m **e** how_  
_When you feel my heat_  
_Look into my eyes_  
_It's where my demons hide, it's where my demons hide_  
_Don't get too close_  
_It's dark inside_  
_It's where my demons hide, it's where my demo **n** s hide."_

**[Demons | Imagine Dragons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFQYaoiIFh8) **

* * *

Bill rammed his knife into another man's stomach, sinking it so far that the tip of the blade jutted out from his back.

Bill pulled the knife out with a snarl, flicking the blood off as the man fell to his knees.

Another demon grabbed his elbows, pulling the blond boy back against the pine tree with a shuddering bang. Bill growled, jumping to his feet and smashing his knee against the demon's hideous, blue face.

"It's so flattering of you to send not only humans against me, but your own fucking servants!" Bill thundered, shoving his fist down the demon's large, teeth-covered mouth and successfully choking it to death. Bill pulled back his fist, sniffing in disgust when he saw that it was covered in blood and cuts from the teeth of the venomous bastard.

"Do not fight against it, Cipher!" the man snarled at him.

Bill screamed, digging his crimson-colored hands into a human's stomach, piercing it all the way through until his hands were soaked even more. He pulled out a large intestine, making the man gurgle and step back in complete shock. Bill shoved the intestine down the man's throat, kicking him backwards until he fell to the ground. God, he missed this. If he was going to die, he'd do it with a last hurrah.

"After him!" the same man shouted. It was such a cliche line to say, that Bill actually laughed. Laughed at the face of the man he made a deal with, laughed at the certain death he was going to get for being caught at what he had done. If he wasn't so heartless, he would've felt guilty of doing what he did. But he didn't really have one, did he?

Bill grabbed a charging human's head in his two hands, squeezing as hard as he can by the man's temples. The man's eyes bulged in surprise at his strength, and he put his hands over Bill's elbows to stop him. But Bill's grip was too strong, and blue fire coated the both of them in an angry blink. But while Bill was immune, the man was not. The foolish mortal screamed and wailed as his flesh melted from his skin, his pores popping and sizzling like uncooked food in the oven, his skin turning crispy brown.

Bill kicked the man to the floor, snarling as three demons with heads of hideous beasts mounted on their shoulders came after him. His blue fire stayed, and those demons stayed clear away from it, knowing the consequence of doing so, something the mortals failed to understand.

He simply sidestepped as one charged after him with outstretched arms, yawning with a hand over his mouth. The two others came after him successfully, and Bill thrashed around as they grabbed hold of his forearms. But Bill simply laughed.

"Is that all you have for me, old man? Come on, you know me better than that!" Bill cooed, craning his neck around to look at the demon holding him in the eyes. His eyes turned crimson, and the demon's eyes widened. That was all the distraction he needed, and he set his arm free, head-butting the demon in the face.

His forehead throbbed with mortal pain, but he loved it. Loved every second of screams and wails of terror that _he_ caused. It was a reminder that he was here in this stupid mortal form to fulfill a deal, so he could take over the universe and finally get what he wanted.

And what he wanted was satisfaction. Satisfaction as the world crumpled under his foot, satisfaction as everyone lower than him died. He wasn't doing this because he wanted to prove someone wrong. He sure as hell wasn't doing this for revenge, not anymore. It was because he was a crazy, unhinged demon, and Bill Cipher didn't need a reason to destroy lives.

"Aw, do you finally admit that I'm better than you? Admit it, I'm better than you!" Bill cooed, his voice becoming garbled and echo-like in the state he was in. He could feel his mortal bones collapsing under the pressure of his power, and even with the magic holding it together, Bill knew that the body wouldn't last five minutes longer.

"Bill Cipher, what you have done was against our deal!" the man shouted angrily.

Bill snorted, snapping his fingers to make a mortal's face turn into a giant pig. The human squealed like a pig, running away and clutching his face in his hands. Oh, how he missed this.

And when Bill didn't respond, the man brought forth more people for Bill to demolish, bit by bit. Humans first, like a level one fight in a video-game Bill played on. He practiced his magic on them, sometimes using his own hands to do the dirty work. His magic was heating up with how much he was using, and he knew that it was going to drain. His dealer probably only granted him enough magic to let it drain after a while. If he had his immortal form, he could've went on for centuries without even blinking.

But since his magic was limited, he had to resort to using the big guns. And, in all honesty, he liked it.

He cut off jaws to make the ones who screamed loudly to stop for the sake of his ears, he pulled out vocal cords with his blood-packed nails, he cracked bones and shattered them with a fist, splattered blood everywhere as he tore into skin and vital organs, his teeth staining with blood as he used them to pull out throats and hearts, and his own sanity fell as he brawled until he couldn't feel his bones. All the while, Bill Cipher laughed, chuckled, and laughed even more at the scene unfolding before him.

It was a bloodbath. A slaughter all tailored for him.

But when his knuckles were sore, his legs felt like jelly, and when his voice was strained from his constant laughter, that was when Bill Cipher fell to his knees.

Bill threw a punch at a demon, a weak one that he instantly regretted. The demon screeched out a mighty laugh as it took hold of Bill's neck, pushing him against the cold, muddy ground. Bill choked out in surprise, grabbing hold of the demon's arms with his nails digging into scaly skin.

But his energy was drained, and his magic was no longer here, and he was forced to watch as the demon lifted him up by the shirt, another demon grabbing hold of his shoulders to keep him steady.

But they didn't make him stand. They forced him to kneel. To kneel in front of the man who accused him for such things.

The gross hands wrapped around Bill's neck left, allowing him to breathe fresh air in his stupid mortal lungs. To his surprise, the air smelled stale and ironed, like blood. He almost laughed. With the blood splattered everywhere, it was no surprise anymore. His head was jerked upwards.

Bill struggled against the demons holding his arms behind his back, and he let out a scream. A raw scream of agony, of pain and torture. But that's what Bill let the demons gathered around think. He made them think he was going to beg with his scream, that he had enough and he wanted to let go.

But he didn't scream for them. He screamed for his lover to run, to get away before he died the same way Bill was going to. He wailed for a broken heart that could no longer be mended the same way it used to. He cried out for the boy he loved, for the boy he lost.

"What have you been doing in that cave?" the voice snarled.

The man crouched in front of him, his black-pupiled eyes dark and almost crimson in the moonlight. His wrinkled face was set in anger, and his blond hair swept to the side from the wind. A mortal vessel, the same as Bill.

"Trying to-" Bill grunted out, feeling his arm crack behind him. Even for him the pain was unbearable, as demons knew exactly what another demon's weak spots were. Bill bit down on his lower lip to keep from grimacing. "-find ways to open the rift, of course."

Bill's vision blackened for a good three seconds as he was slapped across the face, his ears ringing from the force of it. Bill spat on the ground, his spit red and gooey. "I don't remember anything about trying to find ways to open the portal while falling in love in the same time to be a prohibition to this deal," Bill said merrily, grinning up at the man's face.

" _Do not,_ " the man spat, "go back to that cave. I see you in there again, and you will have a much more permanent punishment than this."

"And my punishment was what? Giving me a bloodbath? Of all people, you should know that I _love_ purging!" Bill sang out. His head was slapped to the side as the man gave him a black eye, the left side of his face temporarily feeling numb from the pain. He bit back a laugh.

"Have you not noticed the change of behavior you and Dipper Pines have gotten? How you are suddenly affected by his words while he becomes more withdrawn?" the man snarled. Bill's cheery face turned into a glare. Of course he noticed. He noticed over time how distant his Pine Tree became, almost as if Dipper Pines was becoming cold-hearted like him. And he noticed, with a snarl towards the man, that his heart broke when Dipper didn't say it back. That wasn't supposed to happen.

Everything he did, everything he planned with Dipper Pines, it was all faked. He didn't love the boy in the beginning. He made that bucket list to make the boy fall in love with _him._ He manipulated him in a way that didn't involve his dreams and feelings, and it was the perfect plan. So when he finally saw the love in the boy's eyes, he engaged in his plan to finally end this deal, once and for all. Bill Cipher said "I love you" to Dipper Pines to trick him to say it back.

But it backfired.

Bill Cipher shouldn't have reacted the way he did. The old Bill Cipher would've chuckled and told Dipper Pines that soon he will say it back and kiss him again to trick him into thinking he was patient. The old Bill Cipher wouldn't have acted so flustered and hurt, so pained by the fact the boy he loved, _actually loved_ didn't love him back. It broke him in ways he couldn't understand.

People told him to follow his heart. But if his heart was in a million pieces, which piece does he follow?

"You were quite affected by his words," the man commented, laughing out loud in amusement. The demons gathered laughed with him, and Bill fought harder against his restraints in retribution for making him a fool in front of his brethren. It was embarrassing enough for them to see him as a mortal.

"You did something to me, didn't you, Uncle?" Bill asked innocently, tilting his head to the side.

His uncle's eyes darkened. "It was the only way to make sure you kept your leash on," his uncle snapped. Bill's lips curled back in a wolfish snarl. His hand broke free from one of the demons' arms, and he snapped forward, hitting his uncle square in the jaw.

But something stopped him, and he pushed back to the floor, being hauled back up to his knees by the same laughing demons. Bill blinked, feeling anger bubble in his stomach. Magic. Of course his uncle would cheat and use it.

"You see, my nephew," his uncle said, his voice a little cheerier than before. It was a family trait. Snarling one moment and singing the next. His uncle paced in front of him, making Bill's eyes watch intensely, waiting for the words to pour out of his idiot of an uncle's mouth. "When you traded part of your soul to keep Dipper Pines alive, I didn't waste your soul. Why would I? It was an immortal demon's soul, it was something to be proud of to be getting. But I didn't use it for my own power, I used it to make sure it kept you in check. I took Dipper Pines's eye to take a part of _his_ soul as well. Can you guess where this is going, my child?"

Half way through his little speech, Bill's eyes turned to pinpricks. He struggled harder against his restraints, the demons laughing at his attempts. His forehead coated with sweat, slick to the touch. _No._ He couldn't. His uncle was a maniac, but not this much of one.

His uncle leaned forward, looking at his struggling nephew in the eyes. "I traded parts of your souls," he said, his voice giddy. Bill's breathing laboured in his chest, his mind screaming and screeching, clawing at the sides of his mortal brain. "This way, you may feel empathy now. You can feel heart-break easier and faster. And this way, Dipper Pines is harder to manipulate. I know what you've done, and that is not true love. That is why he didn't love you. With part of your soul, he knows subconsciously what you've done, and he won't admit he loves you until you are genuine."

"So that's my punishment? To trade souls with that worthless human?!" Bill roared, his teeth clenched tightly together. His eyes were alight with an inferno of anger and madness.

"No. You know me better than that, Nephew," his uncle retorted, chuckling as he adjusted the dark tie on his mortal vessel. He stood up straight, looking into Bill's eyes with the family's lunacy in them.

"Your human body is dying, rotting without a new one," his uncle continued, making Bill twitch. "I'm going to kill you. Find a new soul, and you may get a new one to restart your original mission."

Bill glowered, finally stopping with his struggles against the demons. He was bored of it. Bored of it all. "Where the hell do I get a new soul, huh? You can't just expect me to find one!"

"Mabel Pines," his uncle suddenly spoke. Bill's mouth clamped shut in surprise.

"Mabel Pines is a good candidate," his uncle said again, his voice quieter than usual.

 _"Don't you dare bring the Pines into this mess!"_ Bill snarled.

"You brought this upon yourself, Bill!" his uncle snapped. "If you weren't such a disappointment to this family, you wouldn't have been banned from our original home!"

"I hated it there! Don't you stop for a moment and think that I just don't like my family?!" Bill snapped back. "Father disowned me. Mother, I haven't even talked to in over a million human centuries. My little brother became the fucking star of the family and you all forgot about _me!"_

"So is that why you killed your brother?" his uncle said in disgust, shaking his head. "No, killing your brother would have been a mercy. You sentenced him to be trapped in a dark void for life. How disgusting can you _be,_ Nephew?"

"I told you, I'm not like the rest of the family. I don't want to be a peaceful demon wandering about in our realm. I want to rule, to see everyone suffer from pain that I have caused. Calling me disgusting is the best compliment you could give me, Uncle," Bill shot back. "No, telling me I'm not part of this family is the best compliment. All of you are buffoons and I still can't believe you all still have faith in me that I'd come crawling home to all of you." As if he'd go back to the same world where he was considered a servant and his own brother was considered royalty. As if he'd go back to the same dimension where _Kryptos_ was a higher rank as him and literally everyone treated him like scum all because of some stupid caste system!

"I have done nothing but shown you mercy, _Bill,_ " his uncle spat, his mortal name like poison on his tongue. "I have given you a wonderful deal to fulfill, and you go behind my back and try to use that portal in the cave?"

"The ladder is almost complete!" Bill spat back. "I can tell that it's close. Closer- closer than you think."

"That prophecy is a small one, and it was not meant for you!" his uncle shouted angrily.

"Then I'll be there when it happens! I'm the strongest entity this poor Earth has seen. You can't stop me!" Bill growled. Behind him, the demon cracked his other arm. A sickening crunch, and his bone poked out from below the elbow.

"Funny you should say that, Bill. Who is the one standing before me?" his uncle said, his voice hushed.

When Bill stayed quiet, his uncle whirled around to face him, his eyes burning with hatred. "This is why your mother chose your brother over you, no matter how much you think your stupid little form affects this. You want nothing in life but to watch everything tremble underneath your controlling fist," he said quietly. Bill wanted to scream at him. He wanted to scream how wrong the other was, that everything was against him and everything hated him so why not go against that? He wanted to tell his uncle that he will die with trillions of entities groveling before him, that nothing will stop him from murdering and massacring every single person who didn't bow before him like how he saw the exact same thing happen to his own stupid, useless dimension.

Yet Bill stayed quiet.

His uncle sighed when he didn't respond, his hand up to his face as he massaged the bridge of his nose. As if Bill's lack of response disappointed him. "Kill him."

A cool muzzle was pressed inside Bill's open mouth. Bill's eyes flickered over to his uncle. He couldn't speak with the shotgun's muzzle inside his mouth, but his eyes spoke enough.

_I want nothing more in life than to protect Dipper Pines._

The world went black as Bill Cipher laid dead on the mountain dirt.

* * *

"Miss Pines! You have a visitor coming into your room in ten minutes."

Mabel flinched at the sudden loudness, dropping her knitting tools on her lap in surprise. She scrambled for them, feeling around her silky bed sheets for the metal needles. She felt the cool familiar touch of the hardware on her fingers, and she squeezed them tightly around her palms.

"Oh, uh, thank you! Who is it?" Mabel called back, feeling around once more for her lost half-knitted sweater.

"It's uh...Pacifica Elise Northwest, I believe," the nurse told her meekly.

Mabel's stomach dropped, and a sudden wash of despair came over her. Oh no. No, no, no, no, no. She couldn't face the girl right now. She couldn't face Paz like this.

"Is there a reason as to why she's...?" Mabel strained out. She strained her ears to listen for the nurse's voice. After all, over the past few days she had to learn how to find the sweet spot to hear properly. It helped with eavesdropping, especially on the doctors thinking she couldn't hear them while they spoke about her condition. "I've never seen anything like it!" or "Maybe it's a new disorder?" was things she heard most of the time.

"All she said was that she was coming, Miss. She's on her way. I'm betting now that she's at the front steps of the hospital," the nurse told her.

Mabel chewed on her bottom lip, her hands playing with the scratchy wool between her fingers. Her knitting needles were on her lap. She could feel her hands shaking, and she tried to hide the tremor by holding on to the silky sheets. Of all people, how did Pacifica knew? Even her own brother didn't know she was here!

"Miss Pines? Miss _Pines?_ Are you okay? Do you need anything?" her nurse called out. Mabel's hands unclenched, and she looked up to the sound of the voice with a smile plastered on her face. She must have spaced out again. She's been doing a lot of that lately. Who could blame her?

"Oh no, I'm fine, perfectly fine. Just tell me when she's here and I'll be fine! Finer, I guess!" Mabel chirped, tilting her head to the side in mild confusion to her own words. But the nurse took that as a good sign, as Mabel acting crazy was a sign that she was herself. Her nurse sighed, said okay and goodbye, and closed her door behind her.

And as soon as the nurse left, Mabel heaved out a sigh and put her head in her hands.

She wished her brother was here to comfort her. She wished that Dipper was by her bedside, telling her everything was going to be alright and they were going to get through this together. They were twins, after all, and they were meant to tell each other everything ever since they were born. Well, not everything, but enough that one twin knew more about the other than themselves. Mabel sniffled, her hands going over to her hair and clutching the scalp there. She wished that Dipper was just _here_ and not some voice from a telephone held over by a doctor.

But she couldn't face her brother- she kept too many secrets from him. Secrets that she was glad she put in the letter.

But for some God forsaken reason, her letter was tampered with, by a man she trusted and knew. And all she could afford was to write a secret message, and then-

Mabel almost screamed out in pain, clutching her head as she tried to remember the events of two days ago. Her head swam with grogginess, the top feeling like it was going to be screwed off, like she was going to be experimented on all over again. Was this how Dipper felt when they took his memories?

She remembered a man coming into her room for a nightly visit. She remembered writing the letter on her lap with glittery pen. She remembered how the man covered her mouth and told her not to scream. How the man took her letter and ripped it apart, forcing her to write another, another cruel one to Dipper that she didn't mean, that she wished she had refused instead of written. But the man told her that if she didn't, Dipper would die, having a much worst fate than she was in, and she wrote it, just so her brother could live. She remembered crying and writing the fake letter, putting in a message for her brother to see to know that she didn't mean any single word and that she needed help. But then that was all she could remember. A flash of light, a scream, and Mabel woke up the next morning wondering who the man was and why she kept having visions of a letter being written.

But she knew for certain that the magic the traitor used on her was exactly like Bill's. The person was a demon, and someone Mabel knew but apparently not enough. And that demon was thankfully not strong enough to erase everything from her brain.

Mabel frowned to herself, lifting one hand away from her head to trace patterns on her bed sheet. Her brother probably didn't come looking for her because of that letter. Whatever was written in it, and though she had forgotten what was exactly written, she knew it was bad. And Dipper would be forced to believe it was her because of her writing.

Mabel's hand jolted, and Mabel had to clutch the bed sheet once again to keep it from jumping. She took in an unsteady breath, then another, and another. The secrets she had kept from her brother was secrets she wished she told him. But she couldn't face her brother face to face if she did, hence the reason why she wrote the letter. But that backfired, didn't it?

For one, Mabel was blind.

In a very interesting way as well. The doctors couldn't figure out _why_ she was blind and even _how_ she was blind. They just told her that her eyes were completely intact, nothing stretched over or broken. They said her nerves were out of the bag too. If someone looked at Mabel right now, they would've thought she could still see. But in reality, all she was seeing was nothing. The world was black, a void of darkness only Mabel could comprehend.

And of course there was her tremors. The doctors thought it was Parkinson's disease at first, but the study was completely shut down when they realized that her nerves were working properly. In fact, everything in her body was working properly- her nerves, her eyes, her brain. It was something about Mabel that just _made_ her like this, and the doctors were all mystified.

But Mabel knew why. She knew, and she was scared.

A few weeks ago, a day before Bill came to Gravity Falls, Mabel was walking in the woods to find some flowers for her new design. She was interrupted by a deep voice that scared the living lights out of her, and the voice spoke to her about a deal that was coming up. A deal, according to the voice, that Bill Cipher was coming back as a human to try and fall in love with her brother. Mabel outwardly said no, firmly stated that Bill Cipher was never to be trusted with, until the voice explained further.

The sound that seemed to come out of nowhere told her that Bill would succeed, but not in a way he would think. Bill would fall apart, thanks to her brother, and Bill would no longer try and take over the world. The voice, laughing as he said it, said it was a perfect revenge for his undisciplined nephew, for Bill Cipher to be heartbroken and to be so love-struck, that his ways would go up in flames. Literally.

So of course, Mabel agreed. She went along with it, pretending that she didn't know who Bill was and pushing them to be together from the very beginning. Of course she acted suspicious at first, she had to! At the time she didn't know why that magical voice thing was doing this _now,_ but as time went on, she realized that the voice had a point. She watched, a little dazed, as Bill Cipher _fell in love._

But as he fell in love, with everything going well, Mabel realized that by doing this, she was going to break her brother. All over again, like when they were fourteen.

So she begged the voice to stop, to let Bill back into his cage because the plan wasn't going to work. But the voice was confident, not caring about Dipper Pines as much as Mabel did. After what Bill did in Pacifica's mansion, she soon found out that someone was trying to break her brother and Bill apart.

And when she promised to stop it, promised to make sure Dipper didn't become crazy again, the entity blasted her. Left her blind with shaking tremors, and with symptoms that was still popping up all over the place.

"Miss Pines, Miss Northwest is here to see you," her nurse said, knocking on the frame of her door with her voice muffled through the wooden frame. Mabel swallowed down bile that rose in her throat.

"Let her in," Mabel strained out. And then the door opened with a screechy sound of the hinges being turned. High heels clicked on the clean floor, before it stopped and the door closed again.

The shoes clicked slowly as it approached Mabel, with Mabel's head still drooped to the bed. And someone pulled out a chair, the chair groaning as it did so. A weight was plopped onto it. And then silence.

Mabel couldn't tell how long they were quiet for. The clock ticked away their time together, a tick for each beat of her heart. Mabel felt the tremors come back, and she hid them under the silk bed sheets. Her teeth gnawed the inside of her cheek until it ached, and she wished that the girl beside her bedside would just _speak_ and get this over with.

" _Mabel_ ," said a voice, strained from emotion being held back.

And because Mabel was holding them back as well, because she missed the girl that was beside her, she began to cry.

"Oh hey, hey," Pacifica soothed, reaching over and taking her forearm. "Don't cry. I'm here. I'm here. I was always here for you," she whispered, squeezing Mabel's forearm gently. Mabel let the tears fall from her face silently, her head still downwards to the bed as she let them go.

"It's going to be alright. I'm- I'm not going anywhere," Pacifica said quietly, her voice soothing and calming as best as she could. Her hand around Mabel's forearm left to caress her wet cheek, rubbing circles there to calm her down as she did so many times in the past when Mabel was stressed.

"H- how did you find me?" Mabel choked out, lifting her heavy head. Even though she couldn't see, she envisioned Pacifica's face. Her beautiful, flawless face that Mabel wasn't going to see anymore.

"Someone told me that if I really loved someone, I'd go looking for them even if they'd never come looking for me," she admitted softly. Mabel stayed quiet, swallowing down a heavy breath. Pacifica's soft hand left her cheek, making Mabel feel cold and alone all over again.

"Is it true?" Pacifica blurted out, making Mabel flinch. "That you're...blind?"

Quietly, her voice scratchy in her throat, Mabel nodded. It made Pacifica gasp softly, a sniffle escaping from herself. Paz wasn't supposed to know. She wasn't even supposed to be here, but Mabel was suddenly glad. She had to face her fears sooner or later.

"They don't know why. They've never...they've never seen anything like me," Mabel told her, laughing quietly under her breath. Though they hung out yesterday, Mabel wasn't completely blind by that point. Just flashes of darkness for minutes on end, but she pretended that they never happened, and that her shaking tremors was because of the horror movie they were watching. She went completely blind this morning, shocking her nurse when Mabel called for help, calmly stating that she couldn't see and that she should turn on the lights.

"Nobody has ever seen anything like Mabel Pines," Pacifica agreed, laughing at Mabel's optimism.

"You should've told me, you know. I could've helped pay for the bills. I could've made sure they-" Pacifica said again.

"Paz," Mabel stated firmly, shutting up the girl beside her bedside. "I'm okay. Blindness is something I can overcome, no problem. It isn't the worst problem I've had. My parents understand that I'm not coming home because of it, my Grunkles will be here by tomorrow, and my brother....and my brother is somewhere I honestly don't know."

"Your brother's fine, trust me. I talked to Gideon, and he told me he just served the love birds an hour ago. They left to, according to him, to make out probably," Pacifica laughed. "So their dinner went well? Did Giddy Fresh say anything else?" Mabel asked, leaning forward in excitement. Even without vision, Mabel knew that her girlfriend was wrinkling her nose. The image of it came into her mind, and Mabel couldn't help but grin.

"Giddy Fresh? Ugh, you're so random," Pacifica whined.

"Which is why you love me, so stop complaining," Mabel chirped back.

"Sadly, that's true," Pacifica admitted, sighing dramatically. Mabel hit a random body part with a spare pillow.

And for the next hour, they talked. Talked about life, about Pacifica's business trips, about Mabel's extraordinary condition, just anything that let them keep talking. It was like old times when they spoke to each other over the phone until they were too sleepy to continue, or when they spent hours on end braiding each others' hair to the wackiest hairstyles to piss off Pacifica's parents.

And finally, when their laughs faded and their memories of each other began to wash away, they grew quiet. But despite the silence between them, it was peaceful almost. Mabel wasn't used to the both of them being quiet together- after all, if you put a cheery lady and a business woman together, there's bound to be conversation.

Mabel shifted in her bed, hearing it creak slightly to her weight. Pacifica was quiet, and she couldn't hear any sounds coming from the girl beside her bedside. She turned around in her bed, crossing her legs so she was facing Paz. At least, she hoped she was. "Is there any particular reason as to why you're visiting me?"

Silence. And then Pacifica coughed, followed by a short sniffle. Mabel frowned to herself.

"I- I wanted t- to tell you something before I left," Paz admitted softly.

Mabel leaned forward, bringing herself to the edge of the bed. Her frown never left her face. Even without her eyesight, she knew that Pacifica was crying and was obviously upset. She was hiding things, the same as Mabel was.

"Then tell me. It can't be as bad as this, right?" Mabel giggled, pointing to the side of her head, referring to the blindness that couldn't be cured.

"Mabel," Pacifica pleaded, a tone of misery in her voice as she spoke, "I don't know how it happened. I- I never- no one- I never did- but w- with you a- and suddenly I woke up and-"

Mabel cut her off when she leaned forward, feeling for the familiar face. She held onto Pacifica's face, caressing her cheeks for what seemed the last time. In a way, Mabel was glad she couldn't see Paz's face. That would mean she'd have to see her scar, the mark left by _her._ She kissed her softly, blowing off the rest of her sentence.

"I know," Mabel assured her, letting go of her face. "You'll get through it. I promise."

"Mabel, you don't understand, I never-" Pacifica sobbed.

"It's not your fault, Paz. It's no one's fault," Mabel told her firmly. "Just...promise me one thing?"

"Anything."

"Don't lose 'em. They need you more than I do."

Mabel heard Pacifica swallow down a heavy breath. "I will," Pacifica promised quietly. "Nothing will hurt them. Not as long as you and I are alive."

Mabel smiled. Before she could speak another word, the door opened with a loud groan.

"Sorry you two, visiting hours are over, unfortunately. You may come over tomorrow morning if you have the time, Miss Northwest," Mabel's nurse told them gently.

Pacifica sighed. There was a groan of a chair as Pacifica stood up begrudgingly. A soft kiss planted itself on Mabel's forehead. "I'll see you around, Mabes," Pacifica told her, "thank you."

"For what? You're the one who came all the way over here, probably missing some huge business meeting or something," Mabel snorted.

"That's not what I meant," Pacifica said quietly, "I meant, thank you for telling me everything was going to be okay. When I heard you were here I thought..."

"Shush," Mabel scolded, "you're not going to lose me any time soon, Paz. And even if I'm not with you, I'm a god damn shooting star. I can find my way anywhere."

Pacifica laughed. "You're right. I shouldn't have worried like that," Pacifica admitted. "But I'll uh, see you tomorrow, I guess. Love you."

Mabel smiled, hopefully at her. "Love you too, you big teddy bear," Mabel teased.

Pacifica snorted, and left her room.

Mabel's smile dropped instantly, and she put her head against her pillow, sliding down the back of the bed. She brought her pillows up to her chest, her tremors coming back full force from being held back so long.

* * *

Mabel woke up that morning to thunder rumbling above.

She sat up on her bed, the thunder pounding heavily against the sky. She held back a scream, clamping her mouth shut before she could wake any of the nurses.

Her hair was everywhere, damp against her forehead as she brushed it away with a shaking hand. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her lungs were squeezing with pressure. Mabel couldn't tell if her eyes were open or closed, but she did know the voice that circled around her like a predator. It was the same voice that haunted her in her dreams, in her visions and in her life.

_Bill Cipher is dead._

"Bill," Mabel whispered to the wind, clutching a convulsing hand to her chest.

Her head felt like it was being squeezed with a tight rubber band, and Mabel yelped, putting her head in her hands. She latched onto her scalp, pulling at her hair tightly. But the pain didn't stop.

Oh God, it never stopped. It was worst than last night and the night before.

It was a white-hot pain that shot through her head, a pain that couldn't be described. Her body convulsed and her hands stopped shaking, but that was only because she felt numb. Numb all over.

Her mouth tasted like bile, and her throat tingled with the rise of it. And since she couldn't hold it in and because her stomach was writhing in agony, Mabel threw up on her bed. Her throat burned with the sensation, her stomach screaming as she emptied out the contents.

But she didn't throw up on her bed. She threw up on grassy soil.

Mabel was forced forward on her knees, her hands clenching the wet grass in between her fingers. They were short, clipped, but long enough for her nails to dig in. Her arms shook with the force of her tremors, and thunder rumbled above as if Zeus, the God of the Skies himself was angry.

_Bill Cipher is dead, dead, dead._

Mabel laughed forcefully, one hand holding her stomach in pain. A streak that seemed like lightning shot through her black vision, making her yelp in surprise. A twinge of feeling came back to her knees as she fell on her butt, her hands still twitching with the agitation.

_Bill Cipher is deceased. He has been erased._

She inhaled through her nose, smelling familiar air. It smelled of grass, fresh water, and fire. There was only one place in Gravity Falls where it smelled like this, and only one place where she would have the best of luck to be stuck in. Bill warned them to never come here, to never even place one foot down this road. But even with his warnings, she wound up here, forever. A final resting place Mabel thought she'd never be wrapped up in.

She was in the hole where no one can be found.

_"P ullk h mhcvy myvt fvb, Zovvapun Zahy."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand this chapter marks the time the archive warning of a major character death to be relevant! Wait, does last chapter co-? Eh, whatever.
> 
> Oh boy. Buckle up, this isn't the end yet, BillDip shippers. And uh, Shooting Star lovers. 0_o


	31. A Dying, Falling Star

_"We talked about making it._  
_I'm sorry that you never made it._  
_And it pains me just to hear you have to say it._  
_You **k** n **e** w the game and pla **y** ed it, **i** t kill **s** to know that you have been defeated,_  
_I see the wires pulling while you're breathing._  
_You knew you had a reason,_  
_I **t** killed you like diseases,_  
_I can hear it in your voice **w** h **i** le you're speaking... you ca **n** 't be treated._  
_Mr. Know-It-All, had hi **s** reign and his fall,_  
_At least that is what his brain is telling all_  
_If he said help me kill the president,_  
_I'd say he needs medicine,_  
_Sick **of** screaming let us in,_  
_The wires got **t** he best of h **im**._  
_All that he invested in,_  
_Goes straight to h **e** ll."_

**[Wires | The Neighbourhood](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QutqokWTlgE) **

* * *

The phone rang for the eighteenth time.

Dipper chewed on his bottom lip as it rang on, his hand sweaty and clammy on the slick tech. It rang once. Then twice. Then three times. Until it went straight to voice mail.

"Hey, Bill Cipher's the name! Ho ho, aren't I glad to be back in Gravity Falls!" shouted the phone. Dipper's eye watered and he blinked them away. "Pine Tree, what the hell do I even say next?" Bill grumbled, his sounding a little far away.

"Just tell them to leave a voice message or something. Nothing sentimental, Bill," called out his tired voice. Bill chuckled, and his voice returned to the phone.

"You heard my Pine Tree. Leave a message after the beep thingy and buy gold _bye_!" Bill sang out. Then the phone clicked, leaving a beeping tone to prolong. Dipper felt a tear trail down his face. He wiped it away in distaste, sniffling like a fool.

"Bill...I don't know where you are," Dipper choked out. "Come home. Please? Y- you're scaring me. Please tell me you're okay. It's been almost a whole day. I- I haven't heard from you o- or nothing. Please, please don't be dead. I want you home to me. I _need_ you."

It sounded sappy, even to him, but he just wanted Bill back. He wanted the idiot to come home with flowers and a goofy grin on his face as he told Dipper that it was just a joke, that the gunshot never happened and that he was okay, that he was fine. But despite wishing things like that, Dipper knew it was hopeless. That gunshot could mean two things; Bill got shot or Bill shot someone. Both guesses were worst than the other.

Dipper set down his phone on his desk with a shaky breath, ending the voice mail with a small beep. The phone clattered, his arms on the table while he stood up, closing his eyes and trying to make sense of everything that happened.

What Bill did scared him. He should've never ignored Bill's powers when Bill came around to stop Tad. He should've never been so _stupid_ and blind to everything Bill had done. The boy had killed, _actually killed_ several men on that mountain. And it wasn't even just a gunshot to the head; he tortured them until their final breath, all the while smiling. Dipper didn't comprehend Bill's insanity, didn't _want_ to understand the boy's thirst for power. And now here he was, totally and completely in love with a psychopath.

He didn't even know if Bill actually loved him, if the blond boy just manipulated him so he could be the next victim.

Dipper shuddered, sitting down on his desk chair with a plop. He put his head in his hands, putting his forehead against the cool table. His hands went to the back of his neck at the nape. He stayed in that position, savoring each and every single breath he took in and out. Mabel wasn't calling. Bill wasn't anywhere to be found, dead for all he cared. His Grunkles were coming here today. What kind of mess did he get himself into?

Dipper lifted his head, clenching and unclenching his fingers. All he had to do was say it back, that was all he needed to do. Just three words, and all of this would've never happened. And he would've said it, would've said it as genuinely as he could, because he really _was_ in love with Bill and nothing about it was fake. But the look in Bill's eyes, something someone would mistake for hesitation and lust, made him falter. It was like being slapped across the face, the realization hitting him within that moment. 

Bill didn't love him.

The brunet put a fist in his mouth to keep from screaming, his head tipping back to the sky. His shoulders shook as he let out a quiet sniffle. He found it funny that this all started out as a joke. Let a guy in the house for a while so they could be paid with gold. Easy task, huh? But no one told him he was going to fall madly in love, so much so that he was blind to the man's motives. How come he never stopped to bother exactly _why_ Bill chased after him? How come Bill seemed angry one moment, genuine the next? How come Bill told him he loved him, his eyes twinkling with triumph like he already won?

Did everything the boy do and did was a lie? Were they really in love, or were they just trying to blow off steam after everything that was going on in their life?

Dipper almost laughed, almost guffawing at the sudden thought. What was _he_ really after? Why did _he_ let Bill take him away with no problem? What happened to the smart, brainy kid who thought everything through? 

Of course. Of course Dipper knew what happened. He was desperate. Desperate to be loved. Desperate, after seeing his sister go after so many people while he sat alone like a duck. Desperate, after realizing that the blond boy that came into his life was desperate the same way. So what did they do? They made out, they had sex, they laughed at each others' faces. But not once had they sat down looking at each other, thinking that the person across from them was going to be their future. The two love birds were just trying to find a temporary escape. 

Dipper got up from his chair abruptly, pacing his dirty bedroom floor with his hands running through his already-messy hair. He barely slept the night before, staying awake on his bed as he stared up at the ceiling, wondering if Bill would ever come back. He waited all night long for the door to open and for a familiar cheery voice calling him to come down for another surprise. He waited for a soldier that was never coming home. And it was stupid, all so stupid to wait for a man who never thought about anyone first before himself.

Dipper glanced at his bed. It was still messy, the far right side of the bed being the messiest with Dorito crumbs all over the pillow with stains all over the bed sheet. It was like Bill never left, and the boy was just outside to prepare for the day.

Outside, he could hear Wendy touring some people about the Mystery Shack, and people oohing as she unveiled a new statue. The gift shop was buzzing underneath his feet, the sound of a cash register being opened filling the muffled air below. Everything seemed normal as always in Gravity Falls. 

Dipper undressed himself with a hesitant sigh, walking over to his cabinet. He tossed his flannel into his already full laundry basket, changing out into a fresh black one with a white shirt underneath. The black flannel was the last of his clean clothes, and Dipper briefly wondered if washing the rest of his flannels was going to be worth it. He thought against it, slipping on some jeans and some white cotton socks instead. He shoved his feet into some shoes, tying the laces as he knelt down to do so. 

It was only ten in the morning, but Dipper already felt like the most tired man alive. Bags were collecting underneath his eyes and he could've sworn he found a white hair when he looked himself in the mirror in the bathroom. His tired eyes and frown shouldn't belong to an eighteen year old boy. 

Dipper walked downstairs, yawning and scratching his back like an old man. He wondered for a moment if he should go and eat, but thought better of it. Last night, he threw up when he ate. He just couldn't stomach anything at the moment, not with his sister gone and Bill somewhere out there. He needed one of them to be with him at least, and the two most important people in his lives were gone. Well, except for his Grunkles. But he still had no idea where they were. If they were even coming here.

So he plopped himself on the couch to watch TV. A blanket over his body, a TV remote in hand, and he was ready to go. Chip meowed at him as the cat passed, a rat in his mouth as he jumped through the window of the kitchen. Dipper sighed through his nose, placing a hand over his stomach. 

But as he flipped through the channels, nothing caught his attention. A boring news channel, a sports channel on tennis, a cooking show, old 80's cartoons- nothing interested him. He knew that if Mabel was here, she'd probably make him settle on the cartoons or romance marathon channel, forcing him to watch it with her all night long. And of course he wouldn't complain. Mabel would always shout things mid-way through that would make him laugh or would make him join in. Not to mention Bill; he'd be playing with Dipper's curls while Dipper sat behind him, the both of them cuddling together on the couch. When they watch something scary, Bill would be the one to hold on to him as if Dipper was going to be taken like the girl in the movie, and Bill would be the one to comfort him when Dipper thought it was too scary for him. Bill would be the one to kiss his shoulder when Dipper shook, about to get up from the couch in fright, while the blond boy whispered things in his ear saying that he'd always be here for Dipper, that he would never leave him behind like the idiots in the movie.

Bill would've been the one to make him feel safe, no matter where they were.

Dipper felt his stomach drop as he flipped through the channels. Bill promised a lot of things, and not once had he fulfilled them.

Dipper jabbed a thumb sharply on the power button on the TV remote, ultimately blackening the screen. He almost half expected some groans to emit from his side, Mabel and Bill simultaneously whining at him to turn it back on. But of course they weren't here.

Dipper jumped up from his spot on the couch, running his hands through his hair. He was becoming hysterical. If no one came here right now, he was going to burst like a balloon. His sister wasn't replying to him, his dork of a boyfriend was gone, left in a mountain full of gangsters, and his Grunkles weren't even here yet!

Almost as if on cue and the heavens listened to his prayers, the door knocked twice heavily.

His head snapped up, and a crazy grin found its way on his face. He raced to the front door as fast as he can, eager to open the door first before- right. It was only him in the house he had to compete with. His legs faltered, but he pushed them anyway. His Grunkles were waiting.

He opened the door to two massive men with matching five o' clock shadows, their hair almost completely grey. Stress lines were on both twins, and they looked even older than before. But despite their age, they were grinning. Grinning down at Dipper with bags swung over their shoulders, and they never looked happier. "Grunkle Stan, Grunkle Ford!" Dipper shouted happily, tipping over to hug them both. Both Grunkles hugged back with gusto, Stan laughing merrily at his grand-nephew's fervor.

"How are you, ya little gremlin?" Grunkle Stan asked, giving Dipper a noogie on the head.

"Fine, fine! Now that you're here," Dipper laughed, escaping his Grunkle's clutches easily. His Grunkle Stan whistled lowly, walking into the Mystery Shack with his muddy boots. Old Dipper would've cringed, but now he was just glad to have them here.

"You know, you would've suffocated under my arm a summer back. You grew some muscles, kiddo," his Grunkle Stan commented. He set his duffle bag on the ground with a heavy thunk. 

Behind him, his twin brother Ford swept past with a new, stony look. "Grunkle Ford, what-?" Dipper began with a frown when Ford walked in. But Ford wasn't listening to him, pulling out a pistol from his pocket and sweeping the living room. Grunkle Stan watched with raised eyebrows, only mildly surprised at his brother's actions.

"Where's Bill?" Grunkle Ford demanded.

The room went quiet. "Yo, Poindexter, what the hell are you-?" Grunkle Stan grunted. 

 _"Dipper!"_ Grunkle Ford shouted. Dipper jumped, his hands clenching tightly by his sides. He had never seen his Grunkle this distressed before, unless their video call counted. He didn't see the harm either, and it just made everything that much more confusing. 

His Grunkle turned around to face Dipper, lowering his pistol to his hip. But his arm was still tensed, his eyes still blazing with anger and determination. "Where. Is. Bill?" he gritted out. Grunkle Stan and Dipper shared looks of surprise and uncertainty. Dipper guessed that Ford didn't tell his brother exactly why they were coming back, and Stan only agreed because he wanted to see his niblings.

"Bill? Bill Cipher? Ford, what the fuck are you-?" Stan questioned, putting his hands up in surrender as he stepped forward. 

"Stan, our kids are in _danger,_ " Ford snarled, "apparently, Bill has been let in here forcefully over the past few days."

Stan's eyebrows rose in complete surprise. He glanced down at Dipper, Dipper shrugging in response. He could feel his hands trembling by his sides. Didn't they just go over this? Didn't Dipper just tell him that Bill was his _boyfriend_ and not some idiot they befriended and trusted immediately?

"Forcefully? Grunkle Ford, weren't you listening to me? We let Bill in here willingly and-" Dipper began, trying to keep his anger in check. 

"Willingly?" Ford snapped, his pistol rose as something clattered in the kitchen. Probably Chip making a mess again. "What did he do to the both of you? Did he make a deal, was that it? And- where's your sister, anyway?"

Dipper's mouth snapped shut. Of all things, Ford had to bring up Bill and Mabel in less than five minutes. Behind them, Stan shut the door, making Dipper wince. Stan came up beside Dipper, folding his arms across his chest. His face was set in stone, just like his brother's. 

"She's not here," Dipper babbled, "yet. But if you guys want, your old room is ready to go and I'll gladly take up your ba-"

"Dipper, for God's sake!" Ford growled, pocketing his pistol on his belt. His eyes bore into Dipper's, his glasses's reflection making him look a little bit more intimidating. "Answer me. Where. Is. _Bill?_ "

Dipper swallowed. He almost stepped back, as he always did when someone scared him, but this was Ford, not Bill. He wasn't going to be pushed down. "He's gone. I- I don't know where he is," Dipper informed his Grunkle. He was glad that his voice didn't sound as wimpy as he thought it would be. 

"You...don't know," Ford echoed, blinking. His hand stayed on the pistol at his hip.

"Yeah," Dipper admitted. His heart suddenly felt heavier in his chest then before.

"Dipper..." Ford whispered, "where is Bill?" He didn't believe Dipper. Of course he didn't.

 _"I DON'T KNOW!"_ Dipper yelled, making both twins wince in surprise. _"I DON'T KNOW, OKAY?!"_

"Dipper, calm down! I was just asking!" Ford told him, walking farther into the living room. His boots thumped against the carpet, and his brother followed suit with their duffle bags, grunting under his breath as he heaved them in. "You have no idea of the moral danger you put you and your sister in, don't you?" Ford spoke, his voice edged with impatience and contained temper.

Dipper crossed his arms to hide his clenched fists. His jaw clamped shut with a vein popping out in his neck, the only sign of his anger. He was usually glad with his Grunkles visiting, especially since they always come back with a gift for the twins. Sometimes it would be something small as a pure pearl or a fossil, but sometimes they'd come back with something big like a map they entrusted Dipper to figure out or a glowing wand they gave to Mabel because they had no idea what it did. His Grunkles were always so caring, always making sure Dipper and Mabel were alright while they were out at sea even when they were technically adults now.

Their protectiveness sometimes ticked off Dipper, and now was no exception.

"It's just _Bill,_ okay?" Dipper said in exasperation, walking with them to the living room. Stan was looking around the living room with a hand on his chin, and Ford was merely holding out a stun gun, sweeping every nook and cranny of the room. The scene would've been comical, if it wasn't for the fact that one of his Grunkles had his gun out for his boyfriend.

"Exactly, Dipper. Bill is not what he seems," Ford said simply.

Dipper groaned, slapping a hand over his face and dragging it down. "I know, you're right. He ki- hurt some people and I saw that. But that doesn't mean he's-" Dipper began.

"Hurt, or killed, or worst? What you've seen him do, Dipper, is not the limit of his power. I've seen him do things, _make_ things that will forever scar my own mind, and my mind is barely here to penetrate," Ford spat, briefly looking up at Dipper with a cold look. 

"Like what? What did he do that made you think he was going to hurt one of us on purpose?" Dipper shot back. The reaction he got wasn't what he expected. 

Stan flopped back onto his old sofa with a sigh of relief, but the moment the words escaped his lips, Stan's back became rigid, and his eyes widened. Ford's hand clenched tighter around the stun gun, and the Stan twins looked at each other with slightly parted lips. The way they looked at each other was very familiar, as it was the look Dipper and Mabel gave each other when someone said something that set them off. The twins were communicating with their twin telepathy, and Dipper knew that they were talking about him. 

Finally, their eyes snapped back to Dipper, settling on him with looks that made Dipper uneasy. "I take it that Mabel hasn't uh, told you yet?" Ford asked uncertainly, clearing his throat.

"You have to be more subtle than that, Poindexter," Stan contemplated.

"Well what was I supposed to say, Stanley?" Ford shot back.

"Mabel tell me what?" Dipper frowned.

Ford and Stan once again shared looks of uncertainty. "Your memories," Ford grunted.

"We made her promise to show you them again before we left. You have a right to see them again when you're stable, Dipper. But uh, that didn't go according to plan, did it?" Stan added. Dipper's frown deepened. 

"My...memories? Well, I mean, she told me I was depressed and I tried to commit suicide, but that's all I know," Dipper told the twins. Stan coughed into his hand, and Ford shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"That's not what happened, Dipper," Ford mumbled, "it has something to do with Bill."

"Bill? You mean, _my_ Bill?" Dipper said in surprise. Ford's eyes flashed with an emotion Dipper couldn't identify quick enough.

"Goodness," Ford grumbled, "has Bill gotten into you so bad that you start calling him _yours_?"

Dipper's face flushed in embarrassment, and he looked away from Ford to avoid more chagrin. "W- well, I mean- Bill calls me stuff like that s- so I thought-" he stammered.

Ford sighed, running a hand through his face scruffily. He walked over to the tear in the wall. Though the room was renovated -with new couches, a new TV, a new grandfather clock to replace the owl one, and even a new shelf to display some achievements- the Pines were too lazy to fix the tears in the wall. It didn't make sense for them to fix it anyway, as they were the only ones coming here and they didn't mind it. Ford lifted the tear gently, looking below it with interest. He put it down when he realized nothing was there, an action that slightly confused Dipper.

"Dipper, haven't you noticed strange things when Bill Cipher was around?" Ford asked Dipper gentler than before. Stan ignored them, flipping through the channels on TV quietly with his hand on his beer belly. Typical Stan, of course. But Dipper could tell he was listening, his Grunkle's shoulders tensed and his eyes clouded over as he tried to strain his old ears to listen to them. 

"Well, yeah, but isn't everyone a little weird sometimes?" Dipper asked weakly. Ford chuckled lightly at his answer, the man circling the living room like a predator waiting for his prey to come out. 

"Think about it harder. Anything, anything at all?" Ford pushed.

Dipper's eyelids half closed as he thought about it. Bill's possessiveness. Bill's bipolarity. Bill's cold look as he killed people in front of Dipper. Bill's manipulative acts. _Everything_ about Bill. How the blond boy acted wasn't like a human- it wasn't even remotely close. He acted like he had no soul, had no heart.

"He's manipulative," Dipper admitted quietly.

Ford smirked in triumph, placing his large hands around his hips. "He's not just manipulative, Dipper- he's capable of destroying Gravity Falls as he tried once before," Ford said, his tone sounding like he was lecturing Dipper. Dipper gritted his teeth.

"And he broke into my mind to do so. I banished him, of course," Stan butted in, "but my only question is, how in the _hell_ did he come back?"

"Look, Bill is manipulative, I get it- but taking over Gravity Falls? He would never- I mean- he never-" Dipper stammered. 

"I have a feeling, Dipper, that his feelings for you is to keep his plans going. Why else would he come after you? You were the one to stop him before, and you are the easiest to please," Ford told him. Dipper's neck heated up in embarrassment. He wasn't _easy!_  

"I didn't mean it like that," Ford said quickly when Dipper scowled, "I meant, of all people who stopped him in the past, you're the easiest to come after. It doesn't help that your memories of him erased, or that you're completely naive to his plans. I don't know what the fool is trying to do, but I bet it's much more complex than what he had for Weirdmageddon. After all, he had six years trapped in a bubble prison to think about it."

"Bubble pri-? What are you guys talking about?" Dipper inquired, frowning at his Grunkle's words. His Grunkle was rambling now, and that was a sign that Ford might spill things on accident. He wasn't going to miss his shot, not now.

"The bubble prison, just like Mabel's. Stan tailored it just for him when his mind went down with Bill all that long ago. It was supposed to impenetrable, unbreakable. It could only be opened by an unstoppable force, or at least something out of this world. And that is the problem. Who would let Bill out on purpose, and why has Bill done nothing yet?" Ford rambled, pacing the floor with a hand on his chin as he looked down, thinking of all the possibilities. Stan laughed at his brother's rant, settling on a cooking channel for the hell of it. 

"Maybe someone made a deal with him. Like, I don't know- just someone from his family, maybe? After all, the old nacho said that he had thin strings with his family," Stan offered.

Ford's head snapped up in surprise. He snapped his fingers, getting a look on his face that meant he got it. Dipper, on the other hand, watched the twins with a confused frown, stepping back subconsciously. "Of course!" Ford cried out. "I've met one of Bill's family members before, he talked about him like he was dirt- his uncle. His uncle was apparently a mighty being, a part of the strong heritage in his family. A king, pretty much, but not really. It could be possible that his uncle let him out, made a deal, and kept his magic on a short leash. But...I don't know what kind of deal would be so important to Bill's uncle to let him loose like a tracked wolf."

Dipper watched on with curious eyes, and questions circling his head. Uncle? Didn't Bill mention him before, something about his uncle making a deal with him about his family money? Because Dipper was so desperate and Ford seemed to know more about Bill's family than he did, something he wasn't proud of, he told his Grunkles about it.

Ford scowled all the way through his explanation Bill gave him, his hand still tapping on his chin in thought. Stan leaned forward, his hands resting on his lap as he looked at Dipper with a curious look. "So the dorito demon really _did_ make a deal with his old man, huh?" Stan chuckled, "for money, you say? That would be something _I_ would do, to be honest with you, kid. Nothing like Bill would do, though. He has no reason to be needing money."

"And why not? Bill sounded pretty convincing to me," Dipper shot back.

"And that's why he's dangerous, Dipper," Ford told him patiently, "he can be manipulative and seem like a nice man when you first meet him. That's what happened to me. I trusted him, and I almost killed my family because of it. Dipper, _do not make the same mistake as I did._ "

"But Bill's different! I don't know what you did to become friends with him- hell, he's a whole lot younger than you. Maybe it was an apprentice thing, maybe you met him at a pub, but either way he's different! He cares for little kids, he cares for others, he cares for _me._  Don't you want me to be happy? Don't you trust me?" Dipper asked, his voice becoming softer with each word. The Stan twins stayed quiet, both looking at each other with uneasy looks. They suddenly looked older despite being in their older years, their stress lines looking clearer than before.

"Of course we trust you, kid," Stan grunted out, his grunt-like voice quiet and soft, like a mother soothing their child. "We trust you a whole lot more than we trust ourselves. But we care about you, you and your sister both. Bill, he's- he's not what he lets you on to be. And I'm only acting calm right now because I don't want to freak you out, Dipper. Ford here, he's seen some of the shit Bill has done, and so have I. We're just trying to prevent that from happening again."

"Then tell me! Tell me what he did that made you all so worried! And none of that, 'he tried to take over' shit! Tell me exactly what he did, and I'll believe you and dump him the first chance I get," Dipper snapped out, every word like poison in his mouth. His voice almost cracked, but thankfully, the world blessed him with a confident voice for once. And it worked on the Stans, and they looked over at him with pitying looks and grinding jaws. They were actually considering telling him, and Dipper was proud of himself.

"Weirdmageddon happened just a week before your thirteenth birthday," Ford began quietly, making Stan look over at him in alarm. Ford held up a hand to show his twin that he knew what he was doing. "Bill terrorized the city with his friends- he turned people to stone, tortured me for information, and forced citizens of Gravity Falls to hide. Although we stopped him from taking over the whole world, it left scars on us- especially you, Dipper. I don't know how, or why he chose to terrorize your dreams and only yours, but he did it. He was mentally abusing you in ways that made Mabel hysterical, begging me to stop it, to put your misery to an end.

"Hell, she even asked me to kill you. She didn't ask it because she hated you- she wanted to kill you because it was the only choice left as a twin. You were broken, so broken that the Dipper we knew was basically gone. Mabel was the only one you told your dreams to, but even she refused to tell us about them. And finally, you broke completely. You went _berserk_ , Dipper. You even tried to-"

Ford stopped his sentence, stuffing a fist into his mouth to stop himself from continuing. Tears welled up in his eyes, making Dipper look up in alarm. His Grunkle Ford's mind was wired to the point that crying was something that was impossible to happen. So to see Ford choke up like this, to look so distraught, it was scaring the crap out of Dipper. Beside him, Stan was looking just as upset, even though his face didn't show it. But his hands betrayed his emotions, his hands unclenching and clenching with his shoulders tight in a ready position to punch something. And on closer inspection, Dipper saw that Grunkle Stan was _shaking._

"Grunkle Ford," Dipper strained out, "what...what did I do?"

"Nothing, nothing important, Dipper," Ford suddenly said, his old personality of airily presence coming back. The man cleared his throat, massaging his neck with a fist like he had a vocal disruption himself. "What's important that Bill would never, one hundred percent, love you in ways you thought. He _abused_ you, Dipper. Mentally, emotionally, verbally,  _physically._ And not only that- you were _thirteen._ And he's been doing that all the way through until you were fourteen. I don't know how he could still access the mindscape through his prison, but he did. And you didn't tell us about it until it was too late."

"Too late? Grunkle Ford, what the hell did I-?" 

"It doesn't matter!" his Grunkle snapped, making Dipper flinch away. "Dipper, my brother and I aren't going on any expeditions until Bill shows his face and we confront him together. You're going to stay in this house until he does so, and you won't be leaving unless one of us goes with you."

"What?! I have a _life,_ if you haven't noticed! I came to Gravity Falls for a vacation, not-" Dipper argued.

"This is not up for discussion, Dipper. Go upstairs and call your sister. I need to talk to her," Ford told him. 

"Don't bring Mabel into this. She didn't do anything wrong," Dipper snapped, his voice dangerously calm, something he hasn't mastered and never thought of doing. Just the _idea_ of Ford getting mad at his sister for not telling him things just-

"I know that. I need to talk to her about something else, Dipper, and you're making it extremely hard for me to concentrate. Go and speak with her right now, before I do," Ford commanded. Dipper glared, uncrossing his arms to let his clenched fists hang at his sides. Ford and him used to get along so well- after all, they were the parallels in the twin duos. 

Before he could start up another argument, Dipper spun around and marched up his room, leaving a exasperated Ford and a worried Stan behind.

He closed the door to his room with a shuddering bang that could be heard from all the way in the gift shop, and he let out a muffled scream, muffled by his fist in his mouth. He ran his hands through his hair angrily like a mad man, pacing the floor with a feline's impatience.

He should've mentioned that he already _did_ try to call, already _tried_ to talk to Mabel over a hundred times over the **c** ourse of the whole day. M **a** bel never r **e** plied to any of his texts, to any of his calls. She never replied to voicemails either, and Pacifica and her close friends never answered his pleas to know where Mabel wa **s**. He shouldn't be worried like this- she was M **a** bel Pines, fo **r** fuck's sake! She was one half of the my **s** tery twins, an unstoppable force they created. They went through **h** ell together, whether that was high school or a monster that needed to be stopped. Nothing could bring down Mabel, absolutely nothing. So why **i** s it that he had a **f** eeling that something was _wrong?_

Dipper walked over to his desk, picking up his phone with a huff. I **t** didn't hurt to try once more. Right?

When he picked up h **is** phone and turned on the screen, he almost dropped it in shock. He stared at the screen in surprise, his eyes wide with his heart hammering in his chest. Why, why, _why_? Why of all times? Of all the times he sat next to his phone waiting for an answer, this was when it actually happened, with him downstairs arguing with his Grunkles.

 **Eight** missed calls from Bill.

He quickly swiped on one of the missed calls, jabbing his thumb almost painfully on the screen. His phone rang, and rang, and rang. But no one answered, and the voicemails kept popping up instead, making his eye water in frustration and anger.

He slammed his phone down on the desk, letting it clatter hardly on the wood. He took in a shaky breath, his vision tilting due to the lack of oxygen he was letting into his lungs. Dipper's knees shook, almost collapsing beneath him. Bill called, _he called,_ and Dipper wasn't there to answer. He didn't even leave voicemails. Not a single trace of him except for the flashing screen of missed calls.

"Dipper Pines," said a gravelly voice behind him.

Dipper's shoulders tensed. He didn't dare to turn around. He was afraid if he did, he was going to scream, to let out all his frustrations at the man in front of him. 

Thunder rumbled above.

* * *

"Bill?" Mabel called out hopefully, her voice tinged with hope. It made Bill frown.

Bill's floating human body came down the clearing to Mabel Pines's shaking body, almost reaching out for her before realizing that he couldn't touch the girl, not in this form. He was currently stuck in an almost translucent form of his human body, his almost invisible body tinged with cobalt blue. If someone saw him now, they would've seen a floating body frowning down at a broken shooting star.

"Some situation you got there, Shooting Star," Bill laughed softly, trying to keep the situation in hand light as possible.

Mabel's bottom lip quivered. "You put me here."

Bill felt his pride sting at her words. Curse the damn entwined soul he had. But, despite the discovery of having part of his lover's soul, he knew that the old him would still frown. Dipper's soul was slowly turning him softer, and he didn't like it- not one bit. Souls take time to have effect on people, demons included. It wasn't before long before Bill felt like a whole new person- or, at least partly. Thankfully he only had part of a new soul.

But now his fool of an uncle was forcing him to take another.

"No, no, no. I told you I would never do something like this, Shooting Star. Even the old me wouldn't," Bill soothed, bringing himself closer to the girl until he was a few feet away from hugging her. And with a sting, he knew that he probably would've hugged her if he could.

"W- why am I here? Where's Dipper?" Mabel asked in confusion, her head swiveling around to track Bill. Bill felt the corner of his lips twitch downwards. Her letter told her that she was blind, that she forgave him for everything he had done and to make sure that without her watchful eyes, he'd still watch over her brother. It was a letter straight from the soul, and it made him wonder why his Pine Tree acted so cold when he read _his_ letter.

"Dipper's mad at you, Shooting Star. He's not coming here," Bill murmured, setting his legs down to ground and crossing it.

"What? W- what made him angry?" Mabel asked, her face contorted in confusion and surprise. It made Bill confused as well. She wrote the letter, didn't she? Didn't she know that her own words would affect her brother? 

"Your letter. I don't know what you put in it, Shooting Star, but it made him call you- it made him mad at you," Bill informed the girl. Mabel frowned deeper, sitting on her butt on the grass. Thunder crackled up in the sky, making Bill look up curiously. The sky was darkening, and he knew the thing called 'rain' was going to happen in a moment or two. How perfect for a situation like this. He heard that rain happened when something dramatic was going to happen, and this time was no exception.

"What are you talking about, Bill? I said I loved him in that letter. I told him I was blind but I still loved him. I- I told him some personal things, yeah, but they were all about how much I would miss seeing him smile. Nothing in that letter should've made him angry. Upset, sure, but angry?" Mabel asked with disbelief in her voice. Her face fell. "Someone made me write him another letter. They tried to erase my memories, but their magic wasn't strong enough," Mabel said again, her voice soft. "Were they...?"

Bill's eyebrows lowered as he thought about it. He knew that someone was trying to bash his relationship with Pine Tree, of course he knew. But why would the man come after _the twins_? They had no part of this. Unless that person knew about Bill having to take her soul away.

"Mabel," Bill muttered, "I'm going to talk to Pine Tree about this as soon as I can. You're worth so much to him than I'd ever be."

"Aw, Bill," Mabel soothed, "I don't know what happened since I was gone, but trust me, I have never heard my brother speak about another boy like this, _ever._ He talks about you like you were a diamond he just found and never wanted to lose. If you two are fighting, just know that he regrets it as much as you do."

Bill smiled at Shooting Star's words. She always found a way to cheer him up, even in the darkest hours. And with those words, he temporary forgot why he was here. And it made him swallow deeply.

There was one way to take a soul successfully. That was either to rip out their chest with magic as his uncle had done so, and the other was to cut off circulation to the head, to avoid the mindscape from interfering. There was only one way with how his uncle had left him to be, and he was actually scared and regretful for this. Why her, of all people?

But of course he knew why. Shooting Star's soul was pure, blindingly so, no pun intended. Her soul was beautiful, alluring to thirsty demons. And a soul like hers was only fit for a broken one like his.

"I tried to...make you happy while you were gone. It was the only way I got to repay for everything you've done; trusting me with your brother's heart and all," Bill strained out, trying to avoid the subject of the reason why he was really here. It worked, and it caught Shooting Star's attention. 

"I knew it," Mabel whispered, a slight tone of laughter to her voice. It made Bill a little confused at her reaction. As if she could feel his uneasiness, Mabel continued, "it was you and your magic, wasn't it? You gave my girlfriend quite a scare."

Bill smiled bitterly. "I was going to tell you and her formally. But uh, that didn't quite go as planned, now did it?" Bill chirped, trying to keep everything aglow. It made Mabel giggle. A laugh that sounded so relieved and happy, that it actually made Bill's chest clench. She still had no idea.

"You made her pregnant. How in the world could you even _do_ that?" Mabel asked in wonder.

"Easy," Bill said breezily, "remember when I asked you for a strand of your hair?" Mabel nodded, a bob of confirmation.

"You freaked me out, but hey, Bill Cipher did crazier things so I didn't question it," Mabel teased. Bill laughed. 

"Anyway, since my magic was weak, I needed a reference to make sure it worked. I coiled both you and Pacifica's DNA together to make a love child. It's completely yours and hers," Bill admitted.

"I...really don't know what to say, Bill," Mabel blinked, "that's- that's amazing! W- wow, Pacifica and I were thinking of adopting soon, but we didn't think that- you know, 'cause we were both- oh my God. I don't know how to thank you for giving us a child."

Bill smiled softly at Mabel's appreciation, a weight lifting off his soul's shoulders. He didn't realize he wanted to hear a 'thank you' so bad until he heard it. "Not one," Bill told her meekly, "two. Twins. One boy and one girl."

"WHAT?!" Mabel screamed, her eyes widening despite her being blind. And despite her blindness, her eyes were twinkling with excitement and happiness. It made Bill genuinely happy. "T- twins?! Like- like me and- and Dipper?! That's- that's so _cool!_ But- but why?"

"I didn't know if you wanted a boy or a girl so meh," Bill said with a shrug. "I hope twins aren't too much of trouble."

"Are you kidding?! That's _wonderful!_ Oh wow! Twins," Mabel said, her voice becoming gradually softer. Her face softened as well, telling Bill that she was daydreaming. "First, we had Stan and Ford. Then me and Dip. Then... _them._ "

"Amazing, isn't it? It's like a Pines tradition. Although, their last names would probably be Northwest. Pacifica's parents are a little..." Bill trailed off. Mabel scowled at the mention of her girlfriend's parents.

"Controlling, I know," Mabel said in distaste, "but I wouldn't mind naming them with their names starting with a 'P' either. As long as Pacifica likes the names, I like it too."

"What names are you thinking about?" Bill laughed. He was genuinely curious about the girl's thoughts, and maybe he'd pass it on to Pacifica. You know, because Mabel was probably going to be gone before all this. It made his stomach drop. One parent would be gone. The other parent would be stuck to tending to twins and become a widow. All because of him and his stupid mistakes.

Mabel thought for a while, a thoughtful look on her face. The sun above was getting more and more blocked by the dark clouds, casting shadows on them below. More thunder rumbled, and Bill thought he felt a droplet of poi- water on his shoulder.

"Penelope Elizabeth Northwest and Perseus Orion Northwest," Mabel whispered to the wind, like a message to be carried on through the woods. Then she laughed quietly. "I would add 'Mabel' to Penelope's name but that would be too conceited, right? Anyway, Pacifica should be the one to choose. She's the uh, carrier after all," Mabel added. Bill tilted his head to the side, a soft smile still on his face.

And before he could speak, the words tumbling out of his mouth, Mabel beat him to it.

"You need something from me. I heard you say something when I came here. I don't know codes, Bill, but I'm not dumb."

Bill's throat felt latched shut. He swallowed down bile that rose from his throat. Could souls even throw up? He wasn't about to find out.

"Yes," he admitted quietly, hanging his head down in shame, "I need something from you but I know you won't give it. You have much of your life to give, and I assure you, I won't take it without your complete acceptance."

Mabel laughed at his little speech. "Stop being so formal, Cipher," Mabel teased, "you need my soul, don't you? I felt a tug on my navel when you came here, like you were trying to take something before you thought better of it."

Bill's mouth dried. True, he tried to take it by force. But then he realized that he'd much rather give Shooting Star a decision than to live knowing he took her soul without permission. "It's a painful process," Bill blurted out. Why was he trying to convince her to say no? Wasn't he here to try and make her say _yes_?

Mabel snorted. "So? I can handle it," she said. 

Bill felt his head swim. Was she _serious_? "Mabel," he whispered, "you have _children_ to take care of. Your brother to protect. Your family to keep toge-"

"Pacifica knows how much I love her, and I know she's ready to take care of our children, _especially_ after knowing they're mine too. My brother won't be happy without you, Bill. He can live without me- I mean, he was stuck with me for eighteen and a half years! And my family will be upset, sure, but I'm certain that making a demon stay in love and _not_ take over the world is something they'd be proud of," Mabel cut off.

"Who said I wouldn't take over the world while falling in love?" Bill challenged.

Mabel smiled to the ground, crossing her legs as she played with her hands on her lap. "The way you look at Dipper makes me think you wouldn't," Mabel suddenly said, her hands stilling in her lap, "if you take over the world, you'd lose him."

Bill swallowed. This girl was so understanding, so forgiving that it hurt to even look at her. This is why he wanted to protect her- she was too pure and good for this cruel world So he made a split second decision. 

"Give me your soul," Bill murmured, "but I will make sure your mindscape lives."

"My-? Bill, what are you talking about?" Mabel asked, looking up to the sound of his quiet voice. 

"You deserve so much more than the shit I've put you through, Mabel Pines," Bill told her, getting up from his position on the grass. He summoned a coil of barbed wires in his left hand, the barbs sharp and pointy. But not only that- the wires were glowing a soft blue, like his body. "Your _mind_ deserves much more."

"Bill?" Mabel called out.

"Hmm?"

"This is for you, right? You want my soul to keep yourself alive?" Mabel asked. A strange lump made its way in Bill's throat. His hands became tighter on the barbed wires, holding the ends.

"Yeah," Bill answered hesitantly, "I need to be kept alive to still be with Dipper." 

Mabel tilted her head when he said Dipper's name. She pursed her lips, and Bill stopped in his tracks, wondering if she wanted to keep her soul to herself. And he wouldn't blame her anyway. He would've never given anyone his soul either. 

"Okay," Mabel said firmly, her voice confident. "What do I need to do?"

* * *

"What do you want?" Dipper asked in a weak voice, his head drooping in between his shoulders.

"I need to speak with you," the voice said again. A creak of the floorboards, and Dipper knew the man was coming closer. He should be turned around, screaming at the guy for breaking into his house and screaming bloody murder to get his Grunkles up here. But his vocal cords weren't working, as if his larynx was disrupted again. Something was wrong. 

His heart pounded in his chest, the familiar zoom of anxiety washing over him. _Wrong, wrong, wrong._

"Then speak, old man. I don't have all day," Dipper said bitterly, running a hand through his messy hair. Sweat trickled down his forehead as the sky outside gradually darkened. It cast shadows on the trees outside, making the trees look a little sinister. 

"No, of course you don't," the voice agreed. 

Dipper turned around on a heel, glaring at the man who was disturbing him. And he was hit in the face, struck dumb, at how the man looked- familiar, intimidating. Blond hair streaked with grey, black-pupiled eyes that stared back at him coldly, and stress lines that marked the man as older than he seemed. And he knew, without even asking, that this must be Bill's uncle.

"What have you done with Bill?" Dipper demanded, his shock turning into anger. His mind chanted the same thing over and over again; _it was him, it was him, it was him, it was him who took Bill._

"I sent him after your sister," Bill's uncle said bluntly. A family trait, he guessed, to say things without sugar-coating them unless they needed to. 

"After Mabel? For what? If this is about-" Dipper growled. He got cut off with a chilling laugh.

"Don't you get it, Pines? Your Grunkle has been trying to warn you all day long, and you were still naive to it!" Bill's uncle shook his head in disappointment, walking over to the shelf full of Dipper's trophies for academic achievements. "So smart," he continued, tapping one of the chess tournament trophies, "yet so _dumb._ "

"Watch it!" Dipper snapped. He didn't know why he was so angry and so worked up. Maybe it was because he was looking at the right person to blame. Maybe because he just needed an outlet.

"Don't you want to know about your sister?" Bill's uncle asked innocently, putting down his hands to his back, clasping his hands together with his back straight like some rich brat. The words finally processed in Dipper's mind, his face falling into a look of stone. He knew that he let his guard down at the wrong time, making the man laugh joyfully at his stumped look. "Has she not called you recently?"

"Leave her out of this," Dipper snapped. His anxiety was getting worst each time the man spoke.

"Trust me, Dipper, I would," the man suddenly said, his voice soft and quiet. The man's movements stilled, his back turned to Dipper as he looked at more of his trophies. "The girl's heart and soul is the purest of them all. When I first saw her heart, I was almost stunned by the allure I got from it. I'm surprised she hasn't been taken."

"Taken?" Dipper echoed, frowning. Why would his sister be taken?

"Yes," the man confirmed, "taken. But I know why she hasn't been yet, and that reason will be why she will be broken apart."

"Continue," Dipper bristled. His heart was practically jumping in his chest. He cared about his sister more than anything in this world. He'd die protecting her, and he wouldn't regret it, not one bit. All those things he said about her in the restaurant...

"Your own soul has been keeping her safe, Dipper," the man said. Bill's uncle rubbed a thumb over a dirty spot on one of his trophies, rubbing his fingers to see the grit. "From the moment the two of you were born, your souls became reflections of each other. Mabel, the purest. You, the protector. Nothing could destroy your bond, and your bond was probably the strongest of twins I've ever seen. You see, twins were born with a special advantage I'm betting you know about- each other. But it's worth so much more than a mortal would think. Twins, especially those with a strong relationship, can protect each others' souls without knowing it. Without you, Mabel's soul would've broken and been taken by a greedy man. And without her, your soul would forever be in mourning of a person you failed to guard."

"Why are you telling me this? That- that doesn't even make any sense!" Dipper argued. Of course he knew twins had a special bond among others. Of course he knew. But everything this man was saying, about him becoming some sort of protector- it messed with his head more than he cared to admit.

The man simply chuckled. He turned around to face Dipper. And with an angry clench of the jaw, he saw that Bill's uncle was holding out Mabel's letter.

"I'm trying to save your own soul from that fate," he told Dipper, "your sister is in trouble."

Dipper took Mabel's letter out of his hand almost angrily, taking it without a reason. And with raised eyebrows directed at Dipper, Dipper grumbled and opened it up. It was the same letter, as always. He read it through, once, twice, then three times. 

He looked up at Bill's uncle with an unimpressed look. "She hates me," he croaked out, "so what?"

"You're missing the point here, child," Bill's uncle sighed. "Have you not noticed the bold of some letters? The curving in them seemingly suspicious?"

Dipper's brow furrowed, ducking his head once more to the letter. He was right. Some letters had curves that looked odd against the paper, and he didn't notice because he read it through so fast. He reached behind him silently, grasping for his flashlight. He grabbed it, his fingers tight around the flashlight. He put his hand over the letter, clicking the light on to make the bold lines stand out.

**_Im DYing helP me I love you Im so sorry_ **

Dipper's hands trembled as he let the light back onto his desk behind him, lowering the letter to look at Bill's uncle. The man had a grimace on his face. "Do you believe me now, Dipper?" he asked quietly.

"What happened?" Dipper asked, his voice weak and shaky. _"What happened to her?"_

"I blinded her as punishment. She would get eventual cancer and-" the man spoke.

But his voice faded as Dipper let out a scream, lunging forward for the man who hurt his twin. He reached out, avenging Mabel for the things he missed and the things he should've noticed sooner. He screamed, his voice raw of emotion for the mourning of his sister.

"No! _No!_ " Dipper screamed, leaping forward after the man who hurt his sister. But the man side-stepped, pushing him backward. His world was falling apart and the man before him couldn't see that. "Please, p- please. Kill me! Cut me open and use whatever organ you want! Make me lose my mind and never come back!" he strained out, his voice quivering. He choked out a sob. "But for the love of God-" he whimpered. His hands shook by his sides. "-don't hurt my Mabel."

And then he himself was blinded, but temporarily as he found himself on the floor of his bedroom. 

"It was a punishment I regret!" Bill's uncle snarled. "It's not me you want, you fool, it is my nephew!"

"What has Bill ever done, huh?! All he's ever done was try to love and be loved, and you're making it extremely hard for him with what you pressured him to do. Make him marry in order to get money, are you serious?!" Dipper snapped back, his good eye blurring with emotion. The scene at hand was becoming overwhelming for him. 

"Is that what he told you? That I'm forcing him to marry?" his uncle asked, incredulous. Then he began to laugh, a joyful laugh full of amusement. Dipper swiped at his nose with a glare. If they were loud enough, maybe his almost-deaf Grunkles would hear and stomp upstairs, letting this hell be over. 

"Your sweet, sweet Bill is going to kill your sister," the man spoke, his voice gone quiet. Dipper's jaw clenched tightly, his pulse spiking up. Outside, the thunder became closer, and the rain was threatening to fall for another day.

"Where?" Dipper asked, his voice just as quiet.

"In the forest. Down the path your lover told you to never cross," the man answered. He was gone in an instant, leaving Dipper on the floor.

 And because his heart was at cross-roads and it didn't hurt to check, he got up and went after a dying light in the distance. And he hoped, with everything put into his heart, that the man was wrong, and his sister would still be here with him to get through this together.

But bad things always happened to the ones who deserved it the least. After all, in a garden, a person always picked the most beautiful flowers.

* * *

"This is going to hurt- the pain will be unbearable and you'll be conscious throughout the whole thing," Bill explained, coming closer to the lost-looking girl as the girl's head looked around frantically for the sound of the voice. But to Bill's surprise, she didn't look panicked. She looked content, her eyelids half closed and her body relaxed as she wrung her hands.

"What happens to me afterwards?" Mabel asked, her voice confident and lost of any nervousness. 

Bill licked his dry lips. He could feel his soul fading, flickering in and out without another one to keep it going. If they didn't do this any sooner, he was going to be gone forever. "A paradise," Bill mumbled, "you'll see a paradise. You'll be happy, your own heaven tailored just for you."

Mabel's eyes closed, a smile on her face.

Bill knelt down in front of her, putting the coil around the nape of her neck and wrapping it gently around her neck. She didn't react. Pinpricks of blood began to show on her neck and collarbone.

Bill fought back the nagging feeling that this was going to haunt him forever. That smile of hers will forever be in his brain, but he pushed himself. He needed her soul, and he had her permission. Why, then, did he feel like all of this was so wrong?

"You'll tell Dipper I love him, right?" Mabel asked him. Bill inhaled sharply, his hands on the glowing ends of the wires. He squeezed his hands around the ends, but it didn't stop them from shaking.

"Every day," Bill promised, "he will know every single day of the shooting star that watches over him."

"Good," Mabel strained out, her hands tight on the grass in front of her. She could feel the pricks, Bill knew. "I love him. So much. So, so much."

"I know," Bill whispered, his eyes on the wires around her neck. He was so scared of tightening it, so frightened of the consequences that came with it. But he had to, he simply had to. "And he loves you too."

That made Mabel smile. A beam that should belong to a happy girl who has her life in front of her, not a girl who was going to die a slow, painful death. But everything was going to be alright, Bill kept telling himself. Everything was going to be okay and everything he did will be worth it.

Mabel visibly swallowed, a hand coming up to her neck subconsciously. " _Don't_ ," Bill told her, his voice oddly weak, "don't do that. I'm- I'm going to tighten it."

Mabel sniffled, then nodded. Solemnly. "Can you sing for me?" she asked. Then she laughed quietly. "The last thing I want to hear is someone singing. It was on my death wish since I was eight- die with someone close to me singing a song. I don't even care if it's death metal or a nursery rhyme."

"I don't think I can qualify as a close-" Bill told her warily.

"Oh, don't lie," Mabel teased, her voice sounding awfully cheery for a girl about to die, "you're my brother's lover, the light of his world- and I'm willing to bet it's the same for you too. You're as close as family to me, Bill."

Bill held back tears. He shouldn't be crying. He shouldn't even feel _bad_ for God's sake. But he was, and there was no stopping it.

So he began to sing.

" _We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when-_ " he sang softly, his voice carrying on through the wind. He tightened the wires, looking away with a blubbered sob that shook his shoulders.

Mabel yelped, a sound that reminded him of a kicked animal. He kept his eyes shut, feeling warm blood coating his fingers. But unlike before, it didn't amuse him, it didn't even make him smile. It made him _horrified,_ disgraced at what he was doing. But he kept going.

" _But I know we'll meet again some sunny day,_ " he managed to choke out. 

He wrapped his knuckles around the wires, the barbs harmless to his skin. He tightened, oh God he did. He strangled the girl as best as he could, making choking sounds to emit from her. Cold hands were placed over his knuckles, and he stiffened. Did Mabel change her mind?

No, no of course not. She was much sure of things than anyone in the world. She was always right about everything, and now was no exception. It never was. Shooting Star gripped his hands, squeezing his knuckles in a reassuring way, comforting him in ways that Bill couldn't understand.

So with gritted teeth and his head still turned away, he pushed in the barbs further into her neck. 

It caused Mabel to gurgle out blood, a sob coming forth through her throat despite the reassurance that she gave Bill. In fact, he almost stopped. But knowing that they were already too far into this, he kept going. 

Thorns dug into Mabel Pines's neck like a necklace, a necklace that shouldn't be worn by a kind, wonderful human being like her.

Mabel clawed into his knuckles painfully, but Bill pushed through, a sob almost escaping his lips.

" _Keep smiling through, just like you always do_ ," he sang faintly, his hands coating with warm blood. He had the courage to open his eyes, just for a little peek. And he was surprised to see the Shooting Star smiling affectionately at the sky, tears streaming down her face. But she was happy. She radiated joy and happiness, despite the pain pulling through her neck. It was such a sight that Bill turned his head, afraid that if he kept going, he'd try and save the dying, falling star.

" _'Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away,_ " he lamented, his own eyes stinging with tears.

A slit became visible in the base of Mabel's throat, a thread that kept Mabel's head and shoulders together. It sputtered out gushing, dark crimson blood. It coated all over the wires, all over Bill's hands and forearms. Bill let out an agonized sob as he constricted the barbs.

Mabel keened out a strangled sob, her sobs almost unbearable to hear. Bill could tell she was in devastating pain, but he couldn't stop now. Even if he did, she'd die slower, the hole in her throat too hollow to be fixed. Soon, black blood began to stumble out. Bright yellow mixed in with red also came out of Mabel's mouth, and the fluids mixed together like a god-awful drink.

Bones began to show, popping out of her shoulders as the wires dug in, cracking and careening wildly under the pressure. Some smaller parts snapped, a sickening sound that filled the air. 

The girl's hands shook and trembled, the hands letting go of Bill. It fell to the grassy floor with a wet thud, the soil below them squishing under their pressure. Bill grimaced. He didn't even notice it started to rain. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry," Bill sobbed, letting the girl's almost broken off head to fall on his shoulder. The girl was convulsing under the shock, the wires cutting in too deep into her throat for comfort. One of his hands held onto her back for support, his eyes becoming blurry with tears. He didn't care if he was showing emotion. He didn't care that for once, he actually cared for a human being dying at his hands. He didn't care, _he didn't care._ He just wanted to stop the pain his Shooting Star was in.

"Do- don't-" Mabel strained out, her voice gruff and blubbery from the blood. He was surprised she could even speak. "-don't blame- your- yours- self."

Her head tilted up painfully, her face lined with torment and torture. Blood sputtered through her mouth, and her eyes were bloodshot from the pressure. They could've popped out any second. Acid filled his nose, the result of the blood and many different kinds of fluids coming out of Mabel's neck. But there was happiness in her face, a contented look that made Bill's chest squeeze tightly in his chest. And then Mabel spoke, two words that cut through the haze like a knife. 

_"Thank you."_

And with a snap, Mabel's head was cut off unevenly like an un-ceremonial beheading.

A roar of thunder sounded above, like a mourning call from the skies. The sky streaked with lightning and rain, combining into a mess of chaos that Bill should've loved. But he stayed on his knees, holding a dead headless body to his chest like a doll, tears streaming down his face as he clamped a hand over his eyes to try and stop it. He rocked back and forth, sobs breaking through his chest. The pain in his chest never left, a mourn for a girl he took the life of.

His shoulders shook, his body convulsed. He should've never done that. He didn't deserve to live- this wonderful, remarkable girl should have. But now it was too late, and Mabel Pines was dead.

_Mabel Pines was dead._

Bill stood up, covering his blood-stained hands over his mouth. He breathed in through his nose, smelling rain and pine trees. His body felt like it was going to explode, shaking and agitated with grief. No, not grief.

He was disappearing.

He looked down, looking at his blood-stained hands. But they were gone. He chuckled. So this was how he was going to go? How creative.

Bill glanced back at Mabel's body and head. The head rolled away, facing away from him. The body was still sputtering out blood, the wires collected around the shoulders The blue wires was slowly disappearing, knowing that the work has been done. It was a pitying sight, a look that made Bill's jaw clench. He did this.

And behind him, someone called out for their lost sister, a plea for Mabel Pines to be okay. But of course the girl wasn't going to be okay. She was dead, dead, dead. But the brother refused to believe that, still holding onto that thread of hope Bill despised about humans. A raw scream that tore through the forest, a wail that shredded Bill's cold soul. 

And Bill forgot, until now, that he did not just take a shooting star's soul, but the brother's as well. 

_"MABEL!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> emfken, qjfjqs, ayohkhu q tuqtum  
> wkhmth'f jx rz nepf yz kpy xvd puf sfuqtum?  
> ykh xeoxer'j carr uxuf ssfz,  
> ib lpk dgtx mvsdre oigs qeptd jjjb epef.  
> goyx uxy ppshn,  
> keym jbq csqm,  
> keft oigs wemeo tpex zjkxo.  
> decqul, pjtfzr, svuxigu e pdplrs  
> yn utr'j toqe gqoxu  
> hei't qff jbq tebo tk evr ntf aepnzf.


	32. Fallen Constellation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suicide mention! Just a heads up! Dipper's crazy here, oh my poor son.

_"Staring at the bottom of your glass_  
_Hoping one day you'll make a dream last_  
_But dreams come slow and they go so fast_  
_You see her when you close your eyes_  
_Maybe one day you'll understand why_  
_Everything you touch surely dies_  
_But you only need the light when it's burning low_  
_Only miss the sun when it starts to snow_  
_Only know you love her when you let her go."_

**[Let Her Go | Passenger](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ginx7WKq5GE) **

* * *

"Dipper? Dipper? Aren't you coming down for dinner?" Ford called out, his voice muffled through the door. He knocked on Dipper's door, but the boy inside the room didn't respond. 

"Dipper?" Ford called out again, "you missed dinner yesterday. This isn't healthy." 

The door opened to his room, Ford stepping in calmly with a feline's grace. The man was dressed in black- black pants, black shirt, black shoes. Black, for the mourning of a dark shooting star. 

"Good. Maybe I'll die of starvation," Dipper murmured, his eyes still half-closed to the picture of the mystery twins on his wall. He was lying down on his bed, his arms behind his head as he stared at the collage on his wall, a collage Mabel forced him to make just last year. There were pictures of them smiling, laughing, looking like they had the time of their lives. But some were also torn down, damaged by his anger.

"Do you really think she'd be happy with you if you let yourself shrivel up like this?" Ford asked quietly, walking closer to the broken boy. Dipper didn't even blink.

"She's dead," Dipper deadpanned, his voice without any emotion, making Ford flinch at his coldness. "She can't tell me what to do. She's _dead._ "

"Dipper, I know it hurts-" Ford soothed, reaching out a hand towards him.

Dipper sprang up, his arms supporting him as he glared at his Grunkle. Tears welled up in his eye. He wanted to scream, to wail, to cry for hours without anyone bothering him. He wanted to shout, to ramble at the heavens for taking his sister away from him for a life that he barely lived. He felt like crawling in a hole to die, to kill himself so he could see his sister, just one last time.

Her blood was still on his hands. 

He could remember it almost as vividly as his nightmares. 

The feeling of coldness when he saw her body. The feeling of dread and hopelessness when he saw her head. The scream that broke his vocal cords when he saw the blood, the dead heartbeat. He tumbled down the mountain to reach for a dead twin, not caring of the pain and the blood that stained in between fingers. The goddamn torment of holding Mabel's body to his chest in pain, the yells of policemen and the barks of dogs as they inspected the crime scene.

Dipper remembered how warm her blood was, how sticky it became on his fingers.

He walked home that night in a police cruiser. They put a towel around his shoulders, questioned him inside the Shack about what he knew about Mabel before the murder. But he couldn't speak, he couldn't even look at the eyes into the men who kept demanding him to tell them about his other half. He remembered crying, rocking back and forth on the chair as the police finally looked down at him in pity, letting him go to take a shower. He remembered showering that night, scrubbing as much blood off of him as he could, but no matter how hard he tried, he still felt the warm trickle of blood coming down his shirt, the stickiness of the fluid in between his fingers and under his nails.

And he remembered the look of pity and despair on the Stan twins, and he realized that he did not just lose a twin that night, he lost the family glue.

And it all fell apart from there.

"Leave me alone," Dipper strained out, looking pleadingly at his Grunkle. "Please. I need to...I need some time alone."

Ford sighed through his nose, bringing his hands back down at his sides. He glanced at the collage on Dipper's wall. "Stan hasn't spoken to me since last night. The both of you need to sit down and eat for once. Mabel wouldn't-" he began.

" _Don't,_ " Dipper snapped, " _say her name."_

Ford's eyebrows raised in challenge. "Dipper, I know the process of grief. One of the stages is denial. You have to snap out of this, Dipper, I know you blame yourself but Mabel-" 

"I DON'T CARE!" Dipper screamed, his vocal cords still sore and ruptured from the screaming he beheld last night. "I don't care, I don't care, _I don't care!_ I don't have one, okay?! I _don't_ have a sister, I _don't_ have a twin, _THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A MABEL PINES IN MY LIFE_!"

"Dipper, you're becoming hysterical! Calm down!" Ford growled, reaching forward and taking Dipper by the shoulders. He shook Dipper, looking into his eyes with a blaze behind them. "Mabel Pines is never to be forgotten in this household, do you hear me?! I don't care if you want to forget, I know how hard it is to forget a twin! But for the love of God, Dipper, do you think it's _right_ to forget the girl who had such an impact on all of our lives? Where would you have been without her?! Where would _I_ have been?!"

Dipper whimpered, his vision blurring with tears. His bottom lip quivered, and he lowered his head and let a sob escape his lips. The hands holding onto his shoulders never faltered, the grip still strong. Ford watched as the broken boy cried out, his own eyes blurring with tears. Dipper clamped his hands over his mouth, muffling his sobs as best he could. But even then, his shoulders shook, rocking his whole body with the force of it. 

His sister was dead. His twin was gone. His other half was never coming back.

"Fuck," he sobbed out, his shoulders shaking. "FUCK!" 

His vision was blurred, his head was tilting. He couldn't look at Ford properly, and instead looked down at the dirty floor beneath him. Without the hands keeping him steady, he would've collapsed to the floor by now, a sobbing mess that was named Dipper Pines. Dipper Pines, who no longer had a reason to live.

"I miss her," he whimpered, his voice small and weak. "I miss her so much. I loved her, I loved her, _I loved her_."

"I know, Dipper. So did I," Ford whispered, his hands removing themselves from Dipper's shoulders. His Grunkle sat down next to him, letting Dipper cry on his shoulder, sobs breaking through Dipper's chest like a lament. A lament of a soul, broken because it knows of the things he had done.

And without even looking, Dipper knew Grunkle Ford was crying as well.

_"Mabel, Mabel- wake up. Wake up! Don't you- don't you dare -"_

Dipper's tears fell onto his lap. The wails of the sirens. The blood on his hands. Not seeing the head until it was too late.

_"Mabel Pines, WAKE UP! Wake up, wake up, wake up!"_

He shook her shoulders. He ignored the blood. He ignored the trace marks and bites on her shoulders.

_"I need you. Please, please, please. I can't- I can't be part of the Mystery Twins without the other, r- remember? M- Mabel, please..."_

The cold numb feeling as he turned around, seeing a bundle of hair right next to the head. And with a shock that jolted his whole body, he saw that Mabel was headless. He remembered, oh God he remembered, how paralyzed he felt, looking at the body of a girl he failed to save.

He remembered being picked up by a yelling policeman- Sheriff Blubs, who looked as horrified looking down at Mabel's body, the dogs barking in the distance into the forest. He remembered saying something before blacking out in shock, waking up in a warm police car with a towel over his shoulders. He remembered the things the police told him after they found out he was related to the victim.

_"Murder. Use of barbed wires. No struggling, as we can tell. Mabel Pines died a slow death at approximately eleven forty-five in the morning."_

And of course, he remembered the feeling of anger, his vision tinted red from the madness he let go. He screamed in Mabel's room, tearing down things left and right until everything was either broken or trashed. He recalled the feeling of fury as he took everything down, from her pictures on her wall to the notebooks left in her drawer. He rid the Mystery Shack of everything that reminded him of Mabel Pines, everything that reminded him of the shooting star that no longer streaked the sky.

"It should've been me," Dipper whispered. "I should've died."

"Dipper, don't say that," Ford scolded. But the fight in him was long gone.

"Well, I'm right, aren't I?" Dipper asked, lowering his hands slowly from his mouth. "If I died, no one would care. S- she has too many friends, too many people who cares for her. It should've been me. _It should've been me._ "

"Dipper," Ford sighed, two fingers massage the bridge of his nose, "stop blaming yourself. Even I didn't see this coming. If she was here right now, she'd slap you across the face and tell you to snap out of it, I'm sure. She'd want you to live."

"I don't want to live," Dipper said solemnly, "why would I live, with everything _gone_?"

Ford stayed quiet at his words. The old man knew exactly where Dipper was coming from, of course. After all, he spent thirty years inside another dimension, rotting away with the knowledge that his brother and everything he cared about was somewhere else, and he might never return. It was something Ford and Dipper had in common, the reason why they were parallels in their relationship. They bonded over being the "outcasts", bonded over things that the other twin wouldn't get. 

"You still have me, Stan, and your parents, Dipper," Ford told him quietly, "do you really think any of us would be any happier if you died as well?"

"Well maybe if I never lived in the first place, none of this would never have happened!" Dipper growled, standing up from his spot on the bed. He paced his dirty, creaky floor with his hands tight in his hair. Ford watched him with narrowed eyes, his hands sitting firmly on his knees. 

"Maybe if I came down faster, I would've saved her," Dipper said, his voice bitter. "Maybe if I wasn't so caught up with Bill, she would've been here, laughing and talking with Grunkle Stan downstairs. Maybe if I wasn't her twin, she would've lived a happier life without a burden of a disappointing brother. Maybe if I died instead, all of you would've been _happier_!"

"Dipper," Ford snapped, eyes narrowing, "don't you dare say things like that."

"Why not?" Dipper snapped back. "You know it's true."

Ford's mouth snapped closed. He scowled at Dipper, his glasses slipping to his nose. He pushed it back up with a hand, standing up with a little difficulty. "I don't know what you keep thinking, Dipper," Ford growled, "but you are as important to this family as Mabel was. And you are not doing anyone a favor by blaming yourself over something Bill did!"

Dipper laughed harshly, a cutting chuckle that made Ford flinch away. His Grunkle's eyes flickered with dread, though Dipper couldn't understand why. "She's dead," Dipper whispered, "because I let her be killed."

Ford's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. He brought his glasses further up his nose. "You're scaring me, Dipper. What in heaven's name are you-?"

"She suffocated," Dipper cut off with a crazy grin, putting a shaky hand to his mouth. He couldn't help but smile. He couldn't help the tears. Sadness mixed in with madness. "The Shooting Star finally burst away. She's gone, gone, gone. A goner."

Ford narrowed his eyes. "Dipper, you're scaring the hell out of me. What are you trying to say?"

Dipper giggled, a crazy laugh escaping through his muffled lips. His shoulders shook- but not because he was crying. He was laughing, laughing like there was no tomorrow.

Then his laughter became louder, until the room was filled with his amusement, tears streaming down his face all the while. His body shook with the force of his chuckles. His face contorted in both pain and happiness, a look that reminded him of madmen on TV. His hands were clamped over his mouth in an attempt to stop his madness- but he kept laughing. Laughing, and laughing, and laughing.

"She's dead," Dipper laughed, "oh my God- she's dead. Her- her hands- they were so _cold,_ Stanford. They were so, so stiff. Her _head_ \- hahahahaHAHAHAHAHA!"

Ford stepped back in confusion, almost falling over Dipper's bed. The brunet paced around his room, bringing his hands down after realizing that he wasn't going to stop. He placed a knuckle in his mouth instead. He bit down, ignoring the pain that came with it. It was so funny. The pain made him feel funny. Everything was funny.

He laughed softly under his breath, his eyes flickering all over his room. His eyes glanced at his Grunkle's expression- a confused, horrified look that shouldn't be staring back at him. 

"Her- her blood was so mucky and  _liquidized._ They were- were _everywhere._ Blood on my hands, blood on her head, blood on the grass. They were black, Grunkle Ford. Black, black, black," Dipper chortled. He guffawed, suddenly reaching out and knocking a chess tournament trophy down to the floor with a crash, shattering the cup. Ford blinked, holding onto his glasses as he looked down at the mess Dipper made. And his head rose up when Dipper began to laugh again. 

"Dipper? Dipper! What's going o-?!" Ford demanded. Without warning, Dipper turned around, his eyes wide and his grin ear-splitting. He looked at his Grunkle in amusement. Ford's eyes widened, but his face was set in stone. But despite the barrier his Grunkle was putting up, Dipper could see the fear in his eyes. The terror directed to _him_.

" _Mabel, Mabel, quite unstable_ ," Dipper sang out, a tune that sounded like it came from a nursery rhyme. Ford was stuck where he was, looking at Dipper in complete horror and confusion. _"Would you rather if you left without the cable?"_

"Dipper, that is _enough!_ Snap _out_ of it!" Ford snarled, breaking the spell that was cast upon him. He swept forward, grabbing Dipper by the collar of his flannel. A black flannel, Dipper was wearing. Just like yesterday. Fitting, isn't it?

Ford shook him so hard that it made Dipper dizzy, but he found the amusement in it. It made him laugh once more, making Ford stop with a confused and desperate look. Sweat was collecting on his Grunkle's forehead. The grasp on his collar slackened, and his Grunkle stepped backwards.

"Bill," Ford whispered, his voice quiet and strained. "Bill did this to you." 

It wasn't a question.

"Bill? Aw, why Bill? H- he had nothing to do with this, right?" Dipper laughed, putting his weight on the desk behind him. His vision was getting blurry and dazed, like he had a little bit too much to drink. But of course, Dipper never went drinking- at least, not in a long while. Something was happening to him. Something that was making him insane like this in a span of a few minutes. 

He was blubbering about his dead sister just a moment ago. Now he was blubbering about killing himself.

"W- wouldn't it be nice if I took the ropes in the shed and hung it up here and hang myself? It- it's painless, isn't it? Like choking yourself and you- you fade out?" Dipper asked, his voice agitated and maddening. He hiccuped, forcing himself to put a knuckle in his mouth to keep another one from coming out.

 _"Dipper, stop!"_ Ford snarled. He stepped forward, about to grab Dipper- but Dipper began to laugh.

But this time, it wasn't a laugh of insanity. It was a laugh filled with sadness and grief, like a sick, twisted lament of some sort. He tilted his head back, feeling a tear tickle his chin as it dropped to the ground below. His chortles hurt his throat, a lump making its way in between his Adam's apple. It was painful, unpleasant in fact, to laugh like this. But he loved every single moment of it either way. It was a heart's sorrowed, maddening lament, meant for a shooting star that would never help him find his way home ever again.

His hands came over to his messy, curly hair, gripping the scalp like he was going to pull it all out. He wanted to tear it all out, to feel the pain even if it was brief. He wanted to feel pain, feel agony. He wanted to kill himself, just so everything about yesterday would be long forgotten and he could burn in hell for all he cared. The torture he was in at the moment was worst than anything a demon could throw at him.

He could never love ever again.

And so he burst out cackling. It shook his shoulders, his head downcast to the floor. His bangs came into his face, blocking half of his view. And he kept laughing. Everything was hilarious. His pain included.

Oh God, the pain was funny. 

He laughed and laughed and laughed. His throat hurt, sore from his constant laughter, but he kept laughing anyway. His voice was hoarse, rumbling, and grating. It made him sound evil and crazy. But he wasn't crazy! He just thought everything was funny!

Someone took him by the collar, shaking at him roughly. _"Dipper, snap the hell out of it!"_ Ford screamed, Dipper's body shaking back and forth by his force. But Dipper grinned up at his Grunkle, watery smile that looked downright _wrong._ Tears streamed down his face, but he kept smiling. 

A smack sounded through the room, Dipper's body falling to the ground with a dull thunk. 

Dipper's ears rang, reverberating throughout the whole room. His vision tilted, making him nauseous. His hand flew over to the right side of his face, holding his numb jaw and cheek. His Grunkle hit him.

Without a second thought, Grunkle Ford bent down, slapping silver handcuffs onto Dipper's wrists, clicking them in place. He tightened the bonds, making Dipper yelp. He grunted, pushing Dipper to the floor when he tried to stand up. Dipper was now handcuffed by strong cuffs.

"D- do you realize what you've _done_ to yourself?" Ford breathed, standing up and looming over Dipper like a statue. His face was contorted in pain. He shook his head, turning away from Dipper and making his way to the door. "Do you realize you're making the same mistake as you did when you were fourteen?"

Dipper wasn't smiling anymore. He wasn't laughing. But he was delirious.

He screamed, trying to break his hands apart from the bonds he was kept in. He tried to stand, tried to crawl upwards, but the position his arms were in kept him from lunging at his Grunkle. He wailed, his wrists feeling like they were dipped in acid as he moved his hands, trying to get away from the heavy cuffs. Ford stopped at his door, one hand over the knob with his back turned to Dipper.

But despite the man turned around, Dipper could see the tears leaking down his face silently like a disappointed father.

It made him scream louder. "Grunkle Ford! Grunkle Ford! Please! I didn't- I didn't do anything- anything wrong!" Dipper begged, trying to crawl on his knees to no avail. And almost as if to defy his words, he let out a raw laugh. 

Ford's hand clenched, shaking and trembling as he listened to his grand-nephew's pleas. "I'm going to call my brother," Ford whispered, "I'm going to let him know it's back."

And his sweet, patient great uncle left his room, closing the door shut behind him. Dipper would've sworn he heard the door click, a sign that his Grunkle locked the door from the outside like Dipper was some captive animal. 

Just because he felt exactly like that, because he was betrayed by his own parallel, Dipper wailed, louder and more agonized than his screams when he found a Shooting Star dead on the grass. He writhed, he thrashed, he tried everything to get his handcuffs out. But to no account, as it just made things worst.

It made his wrists turn red, it made his hands bleed from being clawed on so much. His forearms felt like they were doused in acid and lit on fire, his Aquarius symbol in particular. But he didn't look down, but instead looked at the door, hoping that his Grunkle would open the door and let him out. He wasn't crazy. He wasn't insane. He was just Dipper. Right? _Right? RIGHT?!_

Dipper screamed, his throat raw and dry from the constant yelling. It broke him, it broke him so much. Dipper Pines, Dipper Pines, Dipper Pines. That was his name. He was related to Mabel Pines. He was dating Bill Cipher. He was related to Stanley and Stanford Pines, his Great Uncles. 

No, no, no, _no, NO!_

That wasn't right. His name wasn't Dipper. He wasn't related to Mabel Pines- in fact, he didn't know who Mabel Pines was. He didn't know a boy named Bill Cipher. He hated Stanley and Stanford Pines with a burning rage. He wasn't Dipper Pines. He wasn't Dipper. No, no, no. Dipper Pines was dead. Soon.

He banged his head on his desk, successfully letting his notebook fall to the floor, knowing that the composition book was at the very edge of the table. His head throbbed with dull pain, but he ignored it, scooting closer to the book with excitement. His hands were already numb with pain as he held onto the book on the floor.

But even with paralyzed hands, he turned the book with his wrists bent painfully, laughing maniacally under his breath. His hollow eye socket throbbed with pain, though he couldn't understand why, nor did he care. His Aquarius scar pulsed like it had its own heartbeat.

He flipped pages, one after another with his one eye searching hungrily. A page about the carpet memories- flipped through, dropping blood on it on the way. A page about some sort of time tape- flipped angrily, smearing blood through the sketch of the time tape measure. A page about some sort of sock opera- with a throbbing forehead, Dipper ripped it out angrily. He ripped most of the pages out in anger, trying to look for the page he was looking for.

And there. He found it.

A page about the cave.

It was full of question marks and circles in red, his own scratchy writing informing him that Bill told him to never go in. He laughed at his own writing. Dipper was so controlled back then. Well, not anymore. Nobody was going to stop him. Nobody was going to force him to stop. Nobody was going to be miserable ever again.

There was a legend he knew in which he found in some old books not so long ago of a ladder that would open a portal. But not any portal- a portal through the dimensions. Almost like a rift, but not quite. It was stronger, much more powerful- and it had the power to save a person's life by trading souls. Dipper never paid much mind to the legend before since it didn't benefit him- but now, with all the clues pointing to the cave, or at least something powerful and unexplained in the cave, he knew just the right place to bring Mabel back.

All he needed to do was go in that cave and trade his life in exchange for a shooting star.


	33. The Ladder's Leash

_"Oh, my God, I feel it in the air_  
_Telephone wires above are sizzling like a snare_  
_Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere_  
_Nothing scares me anymore_  
_Kiss me hard before you go_  
_Summertime sadness_  
_I just wanted you to know_  
_That, baby, you're the best_  
_I got that summertime, summertime sadness."_

**[Summertime Sadness | Lana Del Rey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGH19_KjWY0) **

* * *

Dipper spooned more of the chicken soup into his mouth, slurping it up.

"Thanks for the soup, Grunkle Stan," Dipper thanked, smiling kindly as he spooned up some more.

Stan smiled softly, his hand slightly shaking as he reached over across the table to get the salt for his food. "No problem, kiddo. It's the least I can do. Plus, Ford here can't make a goddamn meal without making it taste funky," Stan said with a wrinkled nose.

"What? I do not!" Ford argued.

Stan looked over at Dipper and winked.  Dipper laughed, bringing his spoon to his lips. He ate up the soup carefully, as it was still hot to the touch. "You've been in that dimension for what? Thirty years? Your taste in food is very uh...unique, Ford," Stan said again, pointing his fork at his brother. Ford huffed.

"I can't argue with that," Ford grumbled, jabbing at his eggs- which were completely covered by mustard and pepper.

Dipper laughed with Stan, spooning another serving of soup into his mouth. It burnt his throat as it went down, but he swallowed it nonetheless. He could hear the Shack buzzing with new tourists in the other room, both in the gift shop and in the museum. Though Dipper and both the Stans were a little uh, unstable after what happened to work in the Shack again, they decided to give temporary ownership to the rookie. Wendy, after hearing about Mabel's death, cancelled all of her weekend plans and spent the whole week working at the Shack, assuring the Pines that she had everything under control. Dipper was extremely glad, of course. He was glad that out of all of them, Wendy was the strongest in this situation- that she still took it upon herself to take care of the Shack, despite being reminded of a lost shooting star at every turn.

But of course, even the red-haired lumberjack was as broken as the Pines. When Wendy took her breaks and Dipper came over to give her some food, he always heard the girl crying. He always saw her holding onto the sweater Mabel had knitted for her so, so long ago, and he always saw Wendy sob, broken as them all. 

Mabel didn't just kill herself- she killed everyone she loved.

And that was why Dipper was going to get her back. No one was going to miss him, not as much as they'd miss poor Mabel. They wouldn't cry and break down at his name when he left. They would even get over him in a few days. 

That was why he bid his time. It's been a whole week since his incident. A whole goddamn week since Dipper became insane, a whole week since a shooting star's light went out. He spent that time pretending he was stable, or at least enough that people would think he wasn't planning to go and sacrifice himself. He helped around the Shack with a fake smile plastered on his face, helped the Stans in things they needed with not as much as a grunt. His parents have asked him several million times to let him return to Piedmont, but he declined each and every single time, saying that he needed to make sure his Grunkles were alright. His parents were worried, but he told them he would be alright.

And they all believed him.

"About that new rookie in the Shack," Stan grunted, catching Dipper and Ford's attentions from their food. "I heard he's done a bunch of good things to this old tourist trap ever since we gave him temporary ownership."

"Yeah," Dipper agreed, "he actually asked me if it was alright if he hired some employees on a low cost to help."

Stan grunted, spooning some more soup into his mouth with a shaky hand. Ford took off his glasses, cleaning it on his gray shirt. "Some new employees actually sound like a good idea," Ford agreed, "all we have is him, Wendy, two other teenagers, and some old lady who wants to resign soon."

"Well, I don't want to spend too much money, which is the problem here. And you know how much those employees cost," Stan argued. "We don't even have the money to pay for all the bills!"

As if on cue, the light-bulb overhead flickered in and out.

Dipper looked up at it, before drooping his head back down to the table and his Grunkles. Right. He didn't tell them about the gold Bill gave him. It would practically last a lifetime, and he forgot to trade the gold in for some cash after everything that was happening in his life. He'd tell them, but not now.

"Damon has a few employees in mind- all of them are willing to be paid lowly, like volunteer work," Dipper told them meekly.

Stan raised a bushy eyebrow in question. "Now what kind of person would decide to work in the Shack without being paid as much?" Stan grunted. He took a sip of his coffee, flipping through another page in the newspaper. Ford was still cleaning his glasses beside him, a small frown on the old researcher's face like he was examining a specimen. 

"Mabel," Dipper whispered, "Mabel would."

The table, which was already quiet, became deadly silent. 

Stan's coffee mug came back on the table with a thud, and Ford slipped back on his glasses. Both Stans looked over at Dipper, matching looks of horror on their faces. Never ever, in the one week ever since Mabel died, has Dipper said her name. Never had Dipper even spoken of her, or spoken of a twin he used to love. And the tone he was using...

Dipper cleared his throat, averting his eyes away from them to look back down at his soup. He played with the contents inside with his spoon, making clacking noises against the bowl. "I mean," Dipper began, his voice awfully quieter than usual, "everyone knew her. Everyone- everyone knows she's- gone. Everyone pities us. Don't you guys see the way people look at you when you walk down the street to get groceries? They all pity us, because they all know how much Mabel meant to us. You have no idea how many times people offered to help me like I was some unstable puppy ready to break down whimpering."

"Dipper," Ford soothed, "no one thinks you're going to-"

"Yes they do!" Dipper snapped, his spoon clacking against the bowl as he dropped it to the side. Ford and Stan jumped at his sudden outburst. He was done pretending he wasn't insane- he was pretending for a whole week, and he was exhausted. 

"What would you do, if you lost each other?" Dipper asked, his teeth clenched tightly together. Ford and Stan didn't respond, their mouths clamped shut. "What would you do, if you found out your own twin was killed by someone you _loved_?"

Bill, Bill, Bill.

Bill killed the Shooting Star. Bill Cipher killed the Star Catcher. Bill Cipher killed the Pines. Bill Cipher is dead, dead, dead.

"Dipper, you're-" Stan began. 

_Dead, dead, DEAD._

"Why?" Dipper demanded, his tone becoming hysterical- it was becoming like last week all over again. Ford could even see it in his eyes, and the man was beginning to stand up. "Why would she leave us like that? Why would she leave Pacifica, me, you, _everyone_? Is she so selfish that she decided to leave us? This is exactly why I hate her. She's so selfish she decided to get killed for her own benefit!"

"Don't you _dare_ call Mabel selfish!" Stan snarled, standing up from his seat. His hands were firmly pressed against the table, holding up his already unstable weight. Grunkle Stan, after hearing the death of his favourite grand-niece, had become different ever since. He grew tremors, he rarely ate, he collapsed frequently without warning, and he had spasms. The death of Mabel Pines was slowly killing everyone she ever knew, and Grunkle Stan was proof of it. 

"Stan, sit down before you collapse again!" Ford barked.

"No," Stan snapped, "not until this idiot of an ungrateful twin would stop calling my niece selfish." Stan's gaze landed hard on Dipper, and Dipper stared back with an empty look. His hands shook, and he willed them to stop as he put them on his lap. "Mabel was never selfish," Stan snipped, "she was the most lovable person this world has ever seen. She didn't _choose_ to die, Dipper. And she sure as hell didn't ask to have her head cut out!"

Dipper stood up in an instant, his chair screeching backwards as he did so. He stared hard at his weak Grunkle, his gaze unyielding. Ford put a hand on Stan's shoulder, trying to ease his twin back into his seat. But Stan was a stubborn man, and never tore his eyes away from the broken child. "She was greedy, Grunkle Stan!" Dipper snapped, "I know she had a choice to live, I _know_ she chose to die. Even with me, Pacifica, and you guys, she still chose to leave us behind because she thinks that by dying, she could have a better life. She was _selfish_!"

"Leave this house," Stan whispered, "if you think that by doing this, you're doing all of us a favor, _leave._ Mabel Pines will not be forgotten in this house, and she will _not_ be called selfish by a twin who didn't deserve her!"

Stan's words cut deeper than Dipper would've wanted. _A twin who didn't deserve her._ Stan got one thing right. Yet he didn't let it show. 

Instead, he narrowed his eyes at his once-loving great uncle.  _A twin who didn't deserve her._ He almost barked out a laugh at that moment. Those six words were the same exact words he always thought of himself as, even when Mabel was still alive and happy. He never deserved someone like her, especially as her twin. It was more relevant now than it was ever before. 

"Stan, calm down, he's just-" Ford soothed.

"No, Grunkle Ford," Dipper cut off bitterly, his voice like poison in his voice, "he's right. I need to leave. You guys don't deserve to take care of me like this. I can take care of myself."

"Dipper, don't, my brother is just-" Ford sighed.

"-unstable?" Dipper clipped, laughing bitterly. He stepped to the side, pushing his chair back into the table. It made a groaning noise, making both the Stans flinch away at it. "Of course he is. Soon, he'd be dead too, wouldn't he? You too, Grunkle Ford. All of us will be dead."

"Dipper!" Ford snapped. Grunkle Stan's jaw clenched tightly, his eyes lit with anger. "What is the matter with you? You haven't said things like this since- since _that_!"

Dipper smiled hardly. It hurt his face to even do it. "Don't you know what today is?" Dipper whispered.

The Stans exchanged looks of confusion. They stayed quiet, expecting Dipper to respond. But of course the broken boy didn't, laughing bitterly under his breath instead. Today has been on his mind since he woke up this morning. Today, today, today. It was today when he'd finally stop all this bullshit and everyone would be happy with the bubbly girl again, instead of being stuck with a gloomy, brown-haired boy who refused profoundly to never leave his room unless it was for food and the bathroom. 

"Figure that out for yourselves," Dipper told them, "if you need me, I'll be in my room."

"Now you wait just a minute, Dipper!" Grunkle Stan snapped. Ford's hand clamped once more over his brother's shoulder, ready to hold him back if a fight was going to break out. And luckily Ford did so, because Dipper knew for a fact that this was going to end with Dipper being hurt. "You live under my roof, under my rules. You don't pay the bills now, don't you?"

Dipper glared at his Grunkle. "Yes, I do," he spat out, "there's fourteen years left on this house thanks to Bill. We have nine hundred thousand dollars left in our bank account too."

Stan's jaw clenched. "Don't you talk back to your Grunkle like that!" Stan snarled. Feebly, in Dipper's opinion. How many times has he heard variations of that line from his parents, his teachers, _his twin_?

"You still live here with us, Dipper. You can't just walk away from your only family. Look, I know this is a hard time for you- it is for me, too. But you can't solve anything by locking yourself in that room of yours trying to cast some evil dark wizard to bring Mabel back," Stan told him, almost in a soothing tone. Dipper flinched at his sister's name. 

"Oh, now you want me to stay here? Just a minute ago, you wanted me to leave!" Dipper snapped.

"I change my mind," Stan said sourly, "I know exactly how it's like to lose a twin, Dipper. But yours is a special case- she's gone for good, kid. And it made you hysterical, like me. I just- I didn't see it until I saw the look on your face. You're determined to get her back, just like I was when Ford came through that portal. But she's _gone,_ Dipper. You can't change that."

"Yes," Dipper snapped, "yes, I can."

"No, you _can't,_ " Grunkle Stan snapped back. Ford's grip tightened on his brother's shoulder as Stan tried to move around the table to get to Dipper, forcing Stan to stay put. Ford's face was a shadow of an empty man, expressionless and cold. But Dipper could see the emotions hiding beneath the man's eyes- grief, sorrow, guilt. Ford, the strongest man he knew, was broken as the rest of them. Grunkle Stan grunted as Ford reeled him back when the man tried to come forward once more. 

"The best thing you can do at the moment is move on, Dipper," Ford suddenly spoke, his voice quiet and soft, like a mother trying to soothe their child to sleep, "she'd want you to."

"This isn't about what Mabel wanted!" Dipper shouted, his nails digging into the palm of his hands. His hands were starting to shake, and he didn't want his Grunkles to know he was slowly becoming more and more unstable. "This is about what the world _needs._ The world needs her back. The world doesn't need me. They need _her._ "

"Dipper, if that's what you want, I get it!" Ford snapped. "But for the love of God, don't sacrifice your happiness for a girl who's already dead."

"She took all my happiness the moment she left me," Dipper snapped back, his voice shaking. He gulped down the lump that grew in his throat. "I won't lose anything if I do this, you know. I might gain, but I sure as hell won't lose anything."

Stan's face contorted in confusion, his brow furrowed in bewilderment at his statement. Ford, on the other hand, paled at his words. The large six-fingered hand on Stan's broad shoulder slipped down to Ford's side, and his jaw clenched tightly, a vein popping in his neck. "Dipper, don't you _dare-_ "

"Why? Why not, Grunkle Ford?" Dipper laughed, his laughter echoing off the walls of the Shack. In a sick, twisted way, it fit perfectly with the screams and shouts of laughter in the gift shop and museum. "You want her back, don't you?"

"Yes, of course I do," Ford murmured, "but she can't be revived, Dipper. No matter how hard you try, and even if you are successful, that person will never, ever turn out the same."

"So? We'll still have Mabel, won't we?!" Dipper screamed, his voice hysterical to the vocal cords.  "Whoever she becomes, I'll still be goddamn happy that we brought her back, you know. I don't care if she ends up becoming a serial killer, I don't care if she starts taking drugs, _I JUST WANT HER BACK!"_

" _Dipper,_ " Ford snarled, "You can't. You just can't. If it was possible, I would have helped- oh lord, I would've dedicated my life to find a way. But it's not, not without hurting yourself or someone else. You have to _calm down._ "

"The cave," Dipper blurted out, making Ford clamp his mouth shut in shock. His voice shook with both rage and sorrow. "The cave, Grunkle Ford. What are you not telling me about it?"

"The cave? Dipper, what are you-?"

"The cave!" Dipper snarled. "There's something in there, isn't there?! You're not telling me something, I know it. Hell, even _Bill_ told me to stay away from that stupid cave. What's so special about that place that all of you think I won't be stable enough to go in there?!"

"For once in my life, Dipper, I agree with Bill," Ford growled, "that cave is not meant for exploring, nor is it a place to-"

"So there is something in there that can help, isn't there?" Dipper asked, his voice in an undertone. The Stans glanced at each other, matching looks of horror on their faces. They knew. They knew what he was thinking.

"No," Stan suddenly uttered, his voice firm- but Dipper heard the fear in it. "No. You're not leaving this house, Dipper. You are _not_ going to-"

"And who the hell is going to stop me?" Dipper challenged, laughing softly under his breath. He pivoted around on one foot, ready to walk upstairs to get his stuff.

But he was tackled to the ground.

Dipper fell to the floor with a thud, Stan holding his shoulders down with a grunt. Despite the man being old and getting weaker as the days past, he was still stronger than the puny, skinny brunet. "Get off me!" Dipper shouted, putting a cool hand on the floor as he tried to stand up. But he was pushed back down, his chin aching with the impact. He bit down on his tongue by accident, causing an iron taste to explode in his mouth. Dipper spat on the floor, red spit coating the spot beside his head.

"Ford, get the handcuffs! Tie him to the fire place for all I care!" Stan barked, his nails digging into Dipper's shoulders. Dipper let out a strangled scream, hitting his chin repeatedly against the wooden floor as he tried over and over again to get up from the floor. His jaw ached with pain, his vocal cords feeling like they were being ripped out as he screamed in pain, feeling the familiar cool of metal rubbing against his skin.

His arms were jolted backwards, being held up by the wrists in handcuffs. His cheek was smashed against the cool ground. 

His vision blacked out.

And there he was, standing in front of the Stans, without his handcuffs. But with a kitchen knife in one hand.

Both Stans had their hands up, their eyes set in stone. Dipper, he realized, was pointing the knife at them.

"What's in the cave? What's in it?!" Dipper demanded, his voice agitated and crazy, like a madman. For all he cared, he probably _was_ a madman.

"Dipper-" Ford begged. 

 _"What's in the goddamn cave!?"_ Dipper screamed, taking a step forward towards his Grunkles. They stepped back as he pointed the knife closer to them. He laughed under his breath. For once, it was _them_ who was scared of him. For once, he was the wolf in sheep's clothing.

But when his eyes focused on his Grunkles, particularly the man with shaking hands, he saw that his Grunkle Stan had his eyes on the table. His eyes on the butter knife right next to him. Stan's eyes flickered back up to Dipper in an instant, but Dipper already knew what he was planning. Stan's face was completely blank, a mirror of stone and coldness. But there was fear in his eyes- real terror. Not because of what Dipper was going to do with the knife, but because of what Dipper was going to do in the cave. 

Even if the man yelled at him, slapped him, or tortured him, Dipper was still family in his eyes. And he was about to lose another.

"Dipper, listen to me," Stanley begged, "I have spent over thirty years trying to get my brother here back in this dimension. I never stopped, and I remember feeling crazy and hopeless the first few months he was gone. But hey, I never stopped because I _knew_ there was a way to get him out, that it was fucking possible. But Mabel? S- she's gone, no matter how much you want to change that. The smartest person alive can't even bring back a person, Dipper. Her body's going to be cremated soon, her head's gone, she's basically-"

And Dipper snapped.

He clenched his teeth tightly, feeling raw tears come down his face in anger. There was a way. Oh, of course there was. There was a way, a goddamn way, but they're not telling him because they know it would _kill_ him! But _fuck-_ Mabel's life was worth a billion of his. 

And Stanley Pines fell to the ground as he plunged in the kitchen knife with a sickening squish of blade against flesh. Stanley squeaked out, his hands flying to his stomach as Dipper pulled out the blade. 

The man stumbled backwards, rattling the side of the table. He fell to the floor, taking his brother down with him. Ford screamed in pain, as if he was the one who was hit, as he scrambled over for his brother, his six-fingered hands coating with crimson coloured blood. It sputtered in between his fingers and knuckles, trailing down the back of his hands and wrists.

The knife clattered to the floor as Dipper watched with wide eyes, shock paralyzing his legs.

He just stabbed his Grunkle. His wonderful, loving, Great Uncle Stanley who has taken care of him for several summers with Soos with no thought of anything in return but his love. 

But as Dipper looked down at his two Grunkles, with one crying out in pain and the other _in_ pain, Dipper snapped out of his shock. This was why he needed Mabel back. He would do anything and everything to get her back, and this was just a small cost. 

So he turned around on one heel and ran, faster than anyone he had ever seen. 

But a voice stopped him before he could make it out the door. A hoarse, deep voice that completely stopped his legs. One name, one plea of a person, and Dipper was turned around.

"Dipper."

He met the eyes of the man he spent years hanging out with. The same man who protected him to his dying breath. "Dipper," Ford begged. Dipper swallowed a lump in his throat. He knew that his Grunkle was going to ask why he did this. He could just feel it. He knew that Ford was going to scream, to lunge at h-

"I understand," Ford spoke, his voice hoarse and strained. Dipper flinched, his nails digging into the skin of his palms. "I understand what it's like caring for someone to the extend of putting your own life at risk. I understand what it's like to lose someone you care about that you feel like a failure. Hell, I had to live with that guilt for years. I- I wasn't strong then. But you are. You're willing to save your sister. I admire you for that."

Ford cleared his throat, blinking once. His head drooped, his eyes on his one and only twin. A twin that was going to die if no one was going to do anything. Dipper inhaled sharply when he saw his Grunkle's eyes glistening with actual tears. Over thirty years of tears, all pouring out at this moment. Even the strongest people have their breaking points.

"For the love of God, Dipper," Ford strained out, "please be careful when you're in there. You'll understand why I never wanted the both of you near that place ever again."

"N- NO!" Stan screamed, trying to get up from the floor with one bloody hand extended towards Dipper. Dipper stepped backwards just as Stan's mouth gurgled, dark blood coming out of the sides of his mouth. "Dipper, d- don't! It's-" Stan coughed, more blood coating the floors. Ford took out a handkerchief and wiped his mouth, his jaw set in a clench. Ford looked up at Dipper.

His eyes said everything.

Dipper swallowed, nodding once in understanding. After looking down at his injured Grunkle, Dipper shook his head and turned around once more. 

He opened the door to the gift shop, scooping up the dirty old brown bag next to the door. He prepared it with things he would need over a week ago- everyone thought it was his "survival" kit. In a way, it was. He swung it over his shoulder and left the door wide open for his Grunkles to be exposed.

"Oh, hi, Dipper! Is there anything you-?" Damon began cheerfully, his head snapping up to his 'boss' from his work on the snow globes.

But Dipper brushed past him with a simple, "Go call the police," and walked out the gift shop.

The last thing he heard before he left the Shack was a wail of torture, followed by a scream- Wendy, no doubt. He left that day with his soul clutched ever so tightly in one hand. The other hand held his heart.

* * *

 _"Shit!"_ Dipper hissed, his foot stepping over a log. He fell to the forest floor with a dull thud, his body slamming against the squishy mud.

He picked himself up on shaky arms, groaning under his breath. A cut stung his left forearm, leaving a drop of blood on the grass below him. Dipper grabbed a pine tree nearby and hoisted himself, rubbing his forearm against his flannel. It left a smear on the bottom half of his clothing.

He adjusted the straps on his backpack, scowling at the ground. He could see the cave just beyond from here, just over the tops of the pine trees. Just a mile or two more, and he could finally save a shooting star.

Dipper huffed, bringing his already sore legs up the mountain. The sound of a rushing river filled his ears, calming him down. He loved the sounds of nature, and now was no exception. And with the thought of bringing his sister back mixed in with the sounds of his favorite noises, he was completely at peace. 

A twig cracked underneath his boot as Dipper hoisted himself up further in the sloppy mountain. The hill wasn't as big as the one Dipper climbed with Bill, but it was steep enough that it made him fall once in a while when he wasn't thinking.

_Bring her back, bring her back, bring her back._

That was all that ran through his mind as he trudged through the muddy forest, the sun still out bright and golden. It was almost as if it was mocking him- everyone was out on this wonderful, summer day, while Dipper Pines was stuck exploring a cave his boyfriend and family told him to never cross. But, he knew everything was going to be alright after this. No one was going to mourn for a girl taken too quickly, no one was going to suffer anymore. It gave him pride and strength, thinking of Mabel's radiant smile.

A smile, he hoped, was going to shine once more.

Dipper heaved himself up with a grunt, his arms shaking with the effort. He was considering going to the gym after all this- you know, since he _was_ a monster hunter sometimes, and monster hunters would need the big guns half the time. But of course, there wasn't going to be a next time for him, will there? 

He huffed, running a hand through his curly hair. It was greasy and dirty from both not taking showers for a whole week and being ran around in the muddy forest. His whole body was no exception to the mud- his clothes were coated in it, and his hands were so red and calloused he looked like a tomato. Lately, he cut the back of his hand on a pine tree when he stupidly climbed one to see up top, probably cutting it open a little too deep. 

A rabbit scurried away at his heavy footsteps, making him chuckle. In a world where there were only cats and mice playing, he was still considered a cat. It made him grin wickedly, playing with the switchblade knife while he whistled. Of course, he made sure to pack one. You know, in case some dumb ass drunkard came through or he had to stay the night to eat some wild deer. His Grunkles taught him how to hunt a long time ago, and he frowned when he remembered how he acted- squeamish, almost yelping at the gunshots and cries of the deer. 

Weak. Pathetic. That was all Dipper Pines was ever going to be. But he planned on giving back.

Dipper grinned even wider, if that was possible, when the cave came into full view. 

It was as dark and gray as he remembered, but he certainly didn't remember seeing soft scratch marks at the side of the cave. That was new. Perhaps a bear came through for shelter. 

He sighed. Too bad all he had was a tranquilizer. Oh well. Mr. Bear-Bear was going to live, apparently. 

He stepped forward, tapping his muddy boots on the now stone floor to get some of the crusty mud off. He ran a hand through the walls of the cave, the stone smooth and jagged at some parts. Moss clung to the entrance like suction cups, making Dipper grimace as he tore some off of his fingertips. Suddenly, he wished Mabel was here. She was likely going to echo her voice down the entrance and giggle afterwards, forcing her brother to do the same by shaking his arm like a madman.

Dipper inhaled sharply, closing his switchblade with a dull click. 

He didn't stuff it back into his pocket, however. He kept it tightly wrapped around his fingers, the cool blade resting in his palm. He didn't hold it too tightly, nor too lightly. Just enough so that if someone were too sneak up on him, they would be on the ground with hands around their neck, a deep groove embedded into the base. 

Dipper laughed softly at the thought of blade cutting into skin like soft grapes, his footsteps echoing through the dark cave. It smelled strongly of earth and dampness, just as he remembered. But before, he never really did focus on the smell. Or, any senses for that matter. Back then, his attention was all on the boy who saved him, who brought him here to rest even though he _knew_ it was dangerous and he _knew_ that something could kill them. 

Bill Cipher risked his life for a young brown-haired boy who didn't even deserve it. And the foolish blond did it again- dead, as a result.

Dipper didn't have time to mourn him. He didn't even know if it was true. But for now, he couldn't cry or take even one moment to feel his heart shatter. So many people have forgotten about him, forgotten about a heart that was a legacy to a soul without a cause. Dipper Pines had a burden to carry, and everyone left him to carry it by himself. But just give it a few more moments, and his burden would be lifted, and everyone he loved and cared about could be happy again. 

Dipper's breath almost caught in his throat when he saw the makeshift spot where he rested for a couple hours after almost drowning in that river. The boulder was still there, surprisingly. He wondered for a brief moment what the boy did while he slept, possibly to never wake ever again. He wondered if the boy loved him even then, if he himself loved the boy back.

He chuckled, dragging his switchblade through the rocks of the cave with screeches filling the air. Probably not. 

What did he do when Bill Cipher kissed him back at the amusement park, basically announcing his likeness for the brunet? He pulled away. 

Not because of he didn't like the boy back- he was basically after Bill! But it was because of the tinge in his heart, the never-ending feeling of dread as Bill's soft lips came upon his. It was the memories that ran through his mind- the details forgotten, but the effect remembered. 

He was lovesick.

Manipulated, twisted- which was why he came back to the boy without a second thought. Which was why he felt like everything they had wasn't real, just an illusion of a devil who wanted nothing more but his lust and love. His lips curled back in utter disgust. 

But why, then, did he felt like his soul was being pulverized by Bill's own hand as he watched the person he thought he loved be with someone else?

Why, then, did he felt so allured by the blond angel so _much?_

Why, then, did he felt more and more empty as they hung out? As if they were trading souls, as if they were tradings morals?

How many times did he feel like killing someone over the past week? How many times has Bill Cipher said things he knows the real Bill Cipher would never say?

How many times has Bill Cipher planned on telling Dipper he loved him, but always chickened out until _now?_ And how many fucking times did Dipper wish to do the same, but never said it back because his feelings were just- _no longer there?_

Dipper grip on his switchblade tightened as he ventured in deeper into the cave, the lighting becoming dimmer and dimmer. He had to pull out his flashlight after a couple feet in, squinting into the darkness like an old man. He wished he had his glasses again- but his vision was slowly becoming better anyway, since he spent so much time without them on and spent less time squinting at computer screens. 

His teeth grinded together, making squeaking noises in his mouth as he stomped in. He could feel water puddles squishing under his feet, making him wonder if there was a water source inside the cave. The curiosity was still in him, even when he was going to die. The best he can do was go out with a bang, right?

Dipper's flashlight flickered in and out, making him curse underneath his breath. This was probably an old flashlight grabbed from the basement- after all, Grunkle Stan's stash consisted of mainly old things and older things. It was a wonder why they even stayed together over the years.

Dipper smacked his flashlight on his palm after sliding the knife in his pocket, letting the switchblade's tip dangle out of it in case of an emergency. The light sputtered back to life, letting Dipper walk back into the cave with triumph.

He cast the yellow, musky glow everywhere, looking around for clues for something to help with. Maybe there was a god trapped here that would grant him wishes if he let it go- or maybe even a demon. He didn't really care- as long as whatever that was helped him get his sister back. 

He remembered reading about resurrection back in high school, back when he was in his nerd phase (he still kind of was). You didn't need the soul's body in order to bring them back most of the time- if you wanted them to look the same, then yes, but Dipper didn't care what his sister looked like, as long as her personality and soul was still there. He remembered that some souls forgot who they were in their entirety- he promised himself he would teach Mabel how to be, well, Mabel again. He even remembered, with a cold shudder, that some souls won't have the same hearts. Mabel could return, bubbly as ever in a new body, but she may forget who Dipper and her family was. She may forget all her innocence, but that was okay. Dipper would kill for her. Murder, lie, cheat, anything for a shooting star.

A small drawing caught his one eye, making Dipper backtrack in a hurry. He pointed his flashlight at the drawing, and inhaled sharply. 

Why was there a red, dripping drawing of his sister's symbol on her favorite sweater?

Dipper's breath hitched as he reached over with his free hand, lowering his hand slightly. He touched it, and almost reared his hand back. It was wet, cool, and oddly familiar. He smeared a thumb over it, and jerked backward to inspect. He sniffed his thumb, and pulled his head away with a wrinkled nose. Rotten, completely horrid. Blood.

Human blood.

Dipper wiped his hand on his pants, walking backwards to see the complete picture.

But he tripped, falling to the cave floor with a thud, his flashlight clattering to the floor. It blinked out, once, twice, before it came back to life, brighter than ever. It rolled around, pointing straight ahead at what he tripped on. Dipper rubbed his sore back, blinking stars away from his vision.

He almost choked when he saw what he tripped on; a human body, rotten and decayed.

Dipper scrambled backwards, his back hitting the jagged rocks. It scratched his back, but he didn't care. His flashlight was still pointed at the back turned to him, his breathing becoming heavier and faster. The body was completely naked- but the skin was a pale, greenish color, as if moss was taking all over the host. Deep, punctured stabs were all over the back and shoulders, so many that Dipper could barely count them all. The hair was greasy and locked tight, like the person was bathed and frozen. But he could still tell what the original hair color was, or even what the person's body looked- a girl's.

One that looked awfully a lot like Mabel Pines.

Dipper let out a cry, like a wounded animal being cornered by a predator. He lashed forward, his hands flying to the girl. His nimble fingers found hard rough skin, cold to the touch like the person was trapped in a deep freezer for days. He shook the body, forcing it to turn around so he could see the face.

Oh God, the face. It was shredded, sliced into parts like some sort of drawing. The mouth was unhinged, and he could see the rotten teeth, or lack therefore. Maggots came out of the neck, writhing and white against the green skin. 

But even with the disgusting site, he could feel his heart rate slow down. This wasn't Mabel.

He let go of the body, letting it fall to the floor with a thump. Dipper got up, grabbing the flashlight off the floor. He frowned in disappointment, his heart heavy in his chest. He pivoted around, and was greeted by a sight.

Women. So many dead, so many lost and forgotten in a cave that no one deserves to die in. All of them were naked, green and pulsing pus. Most were decayed, but Dipper could tell some were recent. Bodies were mutilated in ways he never could have thought of- some of their heads were missing, cut jaggedly off like a lazy man was doing the chopping, some of their bodies were cut into strips, like ribbons for flags, and some's stomachs were pried open, maggots filling their bodies with the ribs sticking out like someone tried to take them out.

And he realized with a choke, trying to hold in his vomit, that all of their chests were surgically cut, all of their hearts taken by a psychopath. The holes in the chests were black, like a reverse Midas touch.

They all looked like Mabel, in one way or another. 

Due to the shock and to the squeamish part of him coming back, Dipper clapped a hand over his mouth to hold in his vomit, his knees feeling shaky and weak, as if he was going to collapse at any moment. Oh God. _Oh God, oh God, oh God_ \- someone tried to kill his sister before.

Dipper's knees sank to the wet stone, soaking the pants with mud. He sobbed out, making the noise echo through the walls sadly. He didn't know them, he didn't even know their names- but they all suffered because they looked like a girl he was trying so hard to bring back. 

His vision blurred with tears, soft whimpers filling the air. His hands latched onto his hair, sobs breaking through his chest. He couldn't look away from the women. He couldn't, he _couldn't._

They reminded him of a person he failed to protect- reminded him of a simple job he failed to do. Mabel died in a similar way with all these victims. But at least she was remembered, whereas the ones here were forgotten, left to rot and die knowing someone was never going to save them.

He was selfish- he was so, so selfish. He was going to bring back a girl who was going to put more people like these dead, rotting women in danger all over again. He was going to make their lives forgotten, just to bring back a girl who was already remembered. Dipper was going to bring back Mabel Pines; and he still hadn't changed his mind about it.

But even then, he still had a piece of his heart still left in him. After he brings back Mabel, he was going to kill the man who did this. He was going to find the person, whoever they are, and swear to do the things he had done to all these women. But who? Who was so twisted and dark that they would do things like _this?_

And then everything clicked into place; why Bill was so familiar with this place, why he didn't want Dipper in here, why he said he did something bad and he was going to pay for it- he did this. He killed all these women, until he found the original. Bill Cipher was the one, after all, who had killed his sister.

Bill Cipher pretended to love him.

Dipper screamed, his vocal cords raw and scratchy, so much like a trapped animal's. Is this what it felt like, to know everything you loved was going to go down in flames? Is this what it felt to be used and thrown around like a rag-doll made for use over and over again? 

He screamed and screamed and screamed, his voice losing itself in the echoes of the cave. He didn't care if someone heard him- hell, it would do everyone a favor if they found him here. 

He got up, turned around, and pounded on the wall. His hand broke underneath the stone, but he didn't care. Caring- was that something he'd ever do ever again?

He sobbed, hitting the wall again. But the color of the wall- that wasn't the color of blood. His blood wasn't...black, was it?

He stepped backward, pulling out his switchblade. And in front of him, stood the same signs and symbols and letters he had seen on the parchment he stared at for so long.

An I, a Chiron key, a broken star, broken arrows, two mingled hearts with one fading away, and two lines that looked awfully like his scar. And of course, the one that topped everything off- the flame. And that flame symbol was the weird one- it was glowing. 

Everything in this tiny section of the cave, everything that has happened here, it was all for a sanctuary. An offering, plus the symbols. Where, where, where? Where was the goddamn shrine then? What did he have to do in order to bring the original back? Did he have to make an offering too?!

Beside the ladder were words written in dark, mushy blood. 

_Sanguinem proditor, ubi est soror tua?_

Dipper clenched his jaw, holding out his forearm. He sliced the flesh fluidly, avoiding the nerve-endings. Blood dotted the floor as he let the knife clatter to the floor. He pressed two fingers to the wound, letting it soak with dark red liquid. He stepped forward, writing underneath the old blood.

_The girl will return._

And to his surprise, blood wrote beside his own, darker like ink. And thankfully, in English as well.

_You have many hopes for a shooting star who has already passed, Flare._

Dipper took a deep breath, not letting the words rattle his mind. He knew how manipulation worked- hell, his own Grunkle used to do that for a living. If you let them make you angry, they basically have control over you. And Dipper Pines was done with being controlled. His fingertips touched the cold rough wall, painting the words. 

_Bring her back for me. I will give anything in return._

_Anything?_ answered the strange wall.

_Anything. If it is a soul you want, you can have mine._

He could've sworn he heard a light breeze tickle his ear, as if someone was laughing. Dipper stood firm, never blinking as he lowered his fingers to see the answer. Nothing happened for a moment, as if the person (if it even was a person) on the other end was thinking about it.

_I do not require a soul- not yours, not yet. But I do wish for you to see something._

_Then let me see,_ Dipper wrote.

_Very well._

And then Dipper was pushed onto the ground like a man was holding him by the shoulders, his blood dripping beside him. He tried to scream out as a burning pain went through the top of his head as if someone was drilling in- but he couldn't. It was like someone clamped his mouth shut. 

_"Dipper? Dipper?! Wake up! Stop it! STOP IT! You're scaring me!"_

_"Mabel?"_


	34. The Twins of Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weird story; this chapter was supposed to be posted two or three days ago because I finished it by then. But someone just haaaad to try and edit it and delete like half of the story .-. Looking at you, Steve. But hey, here it goes! I'm not too bitter. This is a long one, but I promise it will feel short (at least it did to me)!

_"You say that you're no good for me_  
_Cause I'm always tugging at your sleeve_  
 _And I swear I hate you when you leave_  
 _But I like it anyway_  
 _My ghost, where'd you go?_  
 _I can't find you in the body sleeping next to me_  
 _My ghost, where'd you go?_  
 _What happened to the soul that you used to be?"_

**[Ghost | Halsey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao4o-XRU_KM) **

* * *

_Dipper stared at the face of his worrisome sister, her brown eyes wide with terror and concern._

_"Y- you scared me for a moment," she choked out._

_Dipper gulped back a scream that almost came out of his throat, heavy pants coming through his nose. He looked down, and realized that his twin had a hand clutched tightly around his arm sleeve in a vise-like grip, as if letting go meant Dipper would disappear._

_"Did I taunt again?" Dipper murmured, shifting away from his sister._

_It was a normal reaction nowadays. It wasn't because he hated his sister's touch- hell, he wished he could hug his sister or even touch her again, just one last time like they used to, but it was for her own protection. He didn't know what he would do if he did that to her again._

_"Yeah," Mabel whispered, her voice almost too quiet even for Dipper, "you...you said some pretty twisted things, even for your case."_

_Dipper sighed through his nose, his chest heaving up and down. He squirmed in his straitjacket, growling under his breath as he tried mercilessly to get into a comfy position. His arms and hands were numbing from the amount of time he was in the jacket, but it wasn't enough to cut circulation. But even then, this goddamn jacket was so uncomfortable._

_"That's not going to help, Dip," Mabel told him, almost in a scolding motherly tone. She lifted a hand to touch one of the belts that secured the straitjacket, before she hesitated then dropped it back down in defeat. "I can bring you some breakfast now if you want."_

_"No, I'm fine," Dipper sighed. He crossed his legs in front of him, leaning his back against the padded wall. He was sitting in a completely padded room, like the ones in the movies for asylum patients. But his was, what's the word? More comfortable and roomy, he guessed. There was a flat screen TV up high on the wall, an air mattress under his butt, and even a mini fridge in the corner of the room. His parents had this place refurnished when he started...doing that, converting his comfy Piedmont bedroom to some sort of prison especially made for him._

_He knew his parents weren't trying to make it feel like a prison- that was why there was a TV and all these fancy gadgets, but it still did to him._

_"Hey, why did you come down and visit me so early in the morning? Mom's going to kill you if she finds out," Dipper scolded, his eyes flickering to the clock ticking up on the wall. It was four-thirty in the morning. His room wasn't completely white like an insane asylum room- it still had color. Not too much, not too little. Just the way he liked it. In fact, that was the only thing he liked about his room._

_Mabel became awfully quiet, making Dipper's head craned to look at her. She was chewing on her bottom lip, a habit that they both formed together as children. A nervous tick._

_"I heard you screaming for help," Mabel whispered, her tone shaky and trembling. "You kept calling my name over and over again. I came in here and..."_

_"Did anyone else hear me?" Dipper blinked. Things like this happened on a daily basis in the Piedmont Pines house. It was the fact that no one heard him but Mabel that freaked him out._

_"No," Mabel admitted, crossing her legs to copy Dipper. Her hands went into her lap like a kindergartner. She looked so innocent sitting like that, especially with the solemn expression on her face as if she was a little kid ready to be instructed by their teacher. The only thing that broke her innocent stance was her eyes- watery, glistening with tears ready to fall from the burden that had been put on her for the last several months. "I slept outside your room to make sure you were alright."_

_"I'm fine, really," Dipper assured her. "Last night was just-"_

_"You said you wanted to die," Mabel cut off, her voice cutting through the air like a sharp knife. Dipper's mouth clamped shut. "You wanted to die, Dipper. You begged me to kill you. And I...I almost did."_

_"Maybe I didn't mean it, Mabel. I just had a bad-" Dipper strained out._

_"Oh, I know," Mabel snapped. Her eyes flashed with anger, and then guilt. "I know perfectly well you meant it. Dipper Pines, you may be the bad kind of crazy, but you're still in there. You know what you want. I know what my twin wants even if I'm halfway across the globe. And you want nothing more than to die. Don't you?"_

_Dipper couldn't get his mouth to work. True, he was half-conscious with his second panic attack of the week. True, he remembered screaming and begging at the feet of his sister. True, he remembered begging her to kill him, to let everything that had happened to him over the past few months to be over. And true, he still wanted it more than anything in the world. But- he couldn't leave his sister behind in a cruel world like this._

_She was as broken as him after what that asshole did to his family- but Mabel Pines was a hundred times more stable. She had to live with the guilt of opening the rift, something Dipper knew would break him if he was ever in her place. But still, it was him who almost killed, it was him stuck in a straitjacket like a crazy person in an insane asylum._

_And it was him who Bill Cipher invaded._

_They didn't know how it happened. They didn't know why now, after a few years ever since Weirdmageddon happened. It just like Bill became bored and wanted to target someone for revenge- or it was just Dipper and his delusional mind._

_He woke up in a cold sweat one morning, a nightmare he wished he had forgotten. Mabel, dead because of Bill. Stan and Ford, broken apart once more. His whole family falling apart like twigs being broken under a boot._

_And everything just kept going downhill from there. He would wake up from sleep-walking, a knife in hand just right over his flesh. He would wake up screaming to a nightmare he had forgotten but remembered the effects very, very well. He would say things he would forget, but his family would never. He would laugh, so much like the demon who had taken his sanity._

_"If I die," Dipper murmured, "everything would go back to normal. You can stop taking caring of me and not lose your grades even further because of it, and mom and dad can carry on with their jobs without worrying about me behind the back of their heads. Everyone would be happy again."_

_"Dipper," Mabel choked out, "you are worth so much more than school and my social life. So many people care about you, and you keep refusing to see that. Don't you think that if you stop fighting, everyone would lose hope too?" His sister gestured wildly to the cards and gifts on his small, low table. There were so many, he had to admit- get well cards, balloons, teddy bears, everything. Most of them were from friends and family, but some were from complete strangers- strangers from Gravity Falls._

_Dipper swallowed a lump in his throat, tearing his eyes away from the cards and gifts._

_"I'm going to kill you all," Dipper whispered, "I'm going to..._ I'm going to slaughter you _, Mabel Pines."_

_Mabel's eyes narrowed, but not in threat or fear. She simply sighed under her breath, getting up from her spot on the floor. She was used to his words of threat- his words were things that he literally could not control, and after weeks of doing this, Mabel got used to it._

_"I'm going to get you some breakfast. I'll be right back," Mabel told him. She reached over and planted a soft kiss on his forehead, ruffling his hair in usual Mabel Pines style._

_Dipper scowled, but let her. In all honesty, he liked it when she showed affection like this. She was the only person who acted like he wasn't insane- everyone else made sure to keep at least fifteen feet away from him, and when they came out that bubble, it was just to talk about his "issue". Without her, Dipper would have gone completely insane by now._

_As soon as Mabel locked his heavily-locked door, Dipper slumped against his bed._

_He breathed through his nose slowly, letting his chest rise up. But thanks to the goddamn straitjacket, he could barely let his chest expand by more than an inch. Dipper harrumphed, letting his chin touch his chest._

_He closed his eyes, letting the white noise that his parents installed fill his ears. It was supposed to calm him down, and as much as he hated to admit it, it really did. Usually, they made sure he was completely calmed down without any sign of a breakdown before they let him out his straitjacket- they took it off while he slept, put it back on during the afternoon when his brain was most active, and gave him breaks from it many times throughout the day. Wearing straitjackets for long periods of time could cause cramps and aches- and his parents didn't hate him that much to do that to him._

_But whatever happened yesterday forced his parents to make him stay in this stupid jacket overnight._

_His breathing labored as spikes of pain came through his temples and the top of his head. It was a normal occurring thing, the pain. But it didn't mean he had to be used to it. He still hated this part of the day every time it happened- pain, misery, the feeling of drowning, and then it would be gone the next moment as if it was as small as a migraine. He never had the chance to tell anyone about it, not even Mabel. But anyway, he didn't want anyone's pity as much as they already did. It was embarrassing._

_Dipper bonked his head behind the backboard behind him, trying to let loose his frustration and pain spiking through his back like a snaking pest. He gritted his teeth, squeezing his eyes closed. Dipper wondered for a moment if he should yell for Mabel, or at least someone, so he could get some Tylenol to ease his pain. It was taking a much longer time than all the other times this had happened- they usually took less than two minutes._

_Shots of lightning of color came through his blackened vision, making him jolt in surprise. He kept his eyes closed nonetheless, afraid that if he opened them, it would make the pain worst._

_K̼̮͚͇̞͞i͍̠̹̩l̩̖̯̼̖l̞ ̩̜t̮͕̪̭̖͓hę̝͓̼̙̘̭̗m̭̞̞.̨͈ K͍͕̬̠̺͕̻i̫͈͉͓͘l̖̞̙̤l̢̦ͅ ̻͝t̠͈̟̺͓̩ͅh̵͓̩̟̙e̶̝̫̜̤̹m.̯̣̹ ̵̼K̖̤̹̭̭ͅị̵̞͎̮͙̩ll ̥̲͚̤̫̗͟M͙͇̠͞a̸̤̗͕b͙̼̜͈ͅȩ̗̤l̟̥͓̬̰̲̩.̬͎̘ ̖̗͎K̀i͏̖̱̥̭͕l̗͇ĺ̙̼ ͖͖̼̠h͈̩͉̜͓̺͡e̬̪r̲̳̩̗̪̯.҉͕ ̤͇̱̗̜͈̀_

_Dipper chomped down on his bottom lip forcefully, a metal taste exploding in his mouth. It was back._ It was back.

They͜ put̕ yo̷u͘ ̸in h̡ȩr̴e. ͟T̛h͘e͠y̷ ̷t̀re͟at͝e͠d͝ yǫu ̀l͞ikè ͢an̡ anim͢al ̡wi͟t͘h rabie̢s̛. ͏S̵o go͝ ąh͝e̢a҉d a̡n͠d̨ ͞p͡ut͏ ̕thém͘ ҉down ̸the sa̡me wáy̕ t̵he͡y͟ d̀id͜ t̨o͟ you̡r̷ ͡s͟an̶it͜y̸.̀

No. No. Please. They're my family _, Dipper begged in his mind, writhing around in his straitjacket. The voices overlapped his, ultimately out-ruling his own pleas. This happened yesterday as well, moments before he attacked his father, leaving a dark scar running down his father's face._

S͞ó͝?̶̡ ͜͜͞K̵͘͝i҉̨̕ĺ͝l ̷t̢̛͝h̡̡͟e͠m.̀ K͜i̡̢ĺl͏̷͡ ̶t̢̧h̸̴e͡҉m̡̢ ͟͟͞a̴l̴l̨͝҉.̡͟ ̛Ţo̸͠r͏t͘u͝r̸e͏ ̵͠͝t̷͜he͏m̨҉̴,̡͏̛ ͝p̴ư̢t̛͢ t̨̨̨h̵͘è̴͘m i͘͜n̛ ̨a̴͘͞ ̢͞s̷ţ̧͜raì̡͟t̡͞͝j̴͡a͞ćk̸̡҉et ̀an̛d͞ ̷̡let̴͜ ͝t͜h͘e͞m͘͡ ex͜͜p͘͝e̡̡ri̡͜ȩn̕͞c̷̛͢ę̕ ̴̶̀t̷̶́h̸̕e̢ ́ţ͘h͜i̸͠ng̷̛҉s̸̵ ҉y͏̨o̡ų́ ẁ̡̛e͢͏ǹ҉t̢̕͠ ̶t̛h͘҉r̵ou͜gh̕͞.̴͜

They were trying to protect m-

T̲̬͖̹̝̕h̡͖̼ͅe̗y̰̮̞̖̳ we̛̲̥̳̗̙r̟͜e͈͓̖̖̜̝͝ ̶t͕̫͞r͉̗̟̮̜̣y͔̙̻̺̙͎͚͢i̱̱̱̹n̢͓̠̜̱̻̯̟g͇̣̞͝ ͅt̺̰͝o͈͚̰̣͔͜ͅ ̩g̣e̛̠t̯͓̠͍̗̪̭̕ ̰r͇͙̬̤͈̟̯i̭̹̟̟ͅͅd ̩̩̲̠̥̫͓o̙̕f̗̻ ͚̰̟̻͉̞̳̀yͅo̯͓̝̞̞̲̥͡u̼͇̯̜̤̪.̙ ͚Ẁ̙̦ẖ̸͙̹̥̹a̼̙͉̱t̨̩ ̜̖̗̮̠̮͠ha̴̦s̴̩̭̦̭̖ ̞͕M̨̲a̯͔͝b͎̭̤̻e͖͉͎̥̟̙l̤͚̺̪̤ ̙̭̮͉d̵͇̠͇̭o̸̭̣̣̝͎n͓̱̞e̮͚̜?̨̙̰̺̖ ̙̖͔͓̠̥Ș̮̭̦̖͞h̺̘̘̣̬̙ę͙͉̲'s̡̫ ̧͙̖̰̱d̳̦̹o̰͍̯̲̼̬i̠̜̖n̙̗͕̙g̪̺͖̮̙̺͚ ͇t̫͝ͅh̤͎̪̹̤͓is̭͎͜ ̶͙̮͚ͅb̧̳e̳̩͠c̖͕a̙͔͡u̠̗̫̫̼͓͞ș̲͎e̸̩͖ ͝s̰̗̪̫̗̝ḫ̮̯̫̦͞ͅę̖̠̻̞̫̯̝ ̨̪̞̬͎p̡̱̯i̬t͔͈̲͇̜ị̛ḙ̻̝̯̮̲ͅs̳̰̰ ͙y̻͞o̭̥̰ͅu̮̩̳ͅ.̜̺̤̺͠

Yes. I know. I know, but-

  
-y̔ͪ͐ͣͤͣoͪǘ̒'ͩͦ̀̈́ͮ̚vͬ̊ͧ̐e̿̎͊ͤ ͊͂̈́̽ͬ̐̎bͨ̏u̓ͬͣ̏̑̋ͪr̎̋͗̓ͧ̃̅dͥͭ͗ͣe̒͒̅n̓ͪͭ̑eͥͧ̒̓̒̉͐d ̐h͆͊̏e̎̂ͭͦ̓ͣͤr̎ ͑ͣ̊ͩ̔͂w̃it͐͆̅͆ͨ̊̔h̄ aͪͪ̇̂ͭ͛̅ ͮ͂̋t̐ask͌͑̈́ ͐̉̈́sͦh͆̓ͭ͛e͐̚ ͊͆ĉ͌̈͛͊̀oͦ͐̎̌u͒͒ͫͥ͋͛̎l̋d̔̈́̂͛ͬ ̅̄̃ͫnͧ̂ͬͩ̌̋ͤe͗ͥ̍ͯͮv̒ͤ̆̀ê͗ͦͦ̌r̈́̾̒ ̎͑a͂ͨcc͊̆̈́̋o͂̇͒̊ͮͦ̓m̒̔ͯ͆plͭ̇i̍ͮͦsͤ̌h̊͛͛,̅̓̇̃͗ ̈ͧ̈́̈͛͋ȃǹͭ̿̑͗̓ḋͣ̑ͦ ̄̓̿t͛ͩͯͨ̈́̑͆ḧ̆aͨ̈́͂̎t̋ͦ̏ ͛͆ͬ̐ͤͧw͑͑̄͗̈́̈a͗s ͑̉͊̿ͯ͂tͬ̇̀͂ͮ͒o̓̓͗̊̚ ̏ͭ̈́ͮͦ̊̅b̄ͫeͦ ͗yͧ͛̂̔ͦo͊ur͗ ̅̊tw̃̆ͫi͊̈́n͋ wͨͬͣͪ͐h͛͊ï̌̔̎̊ͯlͭeͩͧ ͩ̀ͫs͆͑̓̈́t͛ͤ̃̂ͦ̿ͩa̎̀̊͐ͪyȉ̊̍ͨ́nͣ̍̑̄́̄gͤ͐ͯ͛ ̄s͗a̅̍ͤnͭeͪ̿ͬ. H͒ͫ͂͐͊̈́͂ãve̐́ͭ̀̔̑ ͛̃͗̂̉̄ͮy̏ͬôͧ͛͗ú͐͆̐ ͫn̒̃ͦͦo͂ͣ͒̓ͥ̏t̉̾͒ ̐̓ͩs̊̓̄eͨ̈͛ͬȅ͂̐ͧ̃́n̽ͨ͊̒̓ͥͧ w͒hͫ͐̐́ͧͭ́at͒ ̒̂̊̊ͬ̿y̍ͨ͊̈́ͯ́̚o̚uͭ̆̿ ͑͒̈̂̊̂̇h̏̆a͌v̍͌ͣ̉̃̆e̒̊̋͊̚ ̾ͩd͛͗̀̅͌ͬòͧͬͪ̍n͂ͤȅͨ̍ tͭ̿ͮ̚o ̐̇ͪ̇̓͐̆he͑ͤͩrͧ̄͋̊̔̈?̒̿͋ͮ̅ͫͭ ͩK̉ͯͬ̄̚̚i̅́̉͛l͐̉ͧl̏ͬ̎ ̐͂heͩ̈́̊̏̈́ͪr͑ͬͫ.̿ͮ͆̂ͥ̄ ̐̆͊̑̾K̑̒i̋ͭ̏̉̏͗lͬͯͨl ẗ̍ͭ̊ͨ̉h̓ͭͣ̂ͥẻ͆̉̂̍̃m͌ͦ͋ ̂̑̿̈a͛͊̉lͩl͊,̃ ́͋̋̒ắͫ́̆͗n̊dͮ͊̎̉ ͑͐͂pͫu͛̑t̋̅̃͂ t̀̏̒ͩ̆ͬh͗̚eͬ͌͌͋̇m̍̾ ͋ͪ͐o̽ͬu͂tͧ ͌́̂̎ͧof ͊t̾hͥ̓͐͐͐ͩi̓̉̿̏̇s͒ͦ̆̓ͥ̽̅ ̎͋̈́h͐̿͐ͣͨͭẽ̃ͮ̚l͆͂̄ͣ̈l̑̓̋̒̅ͭ̾.

Stop, stop, please, they-

K̛̀͑̇̚iͦ͊̓̈̓̈́͊͢l͗͑͊l̷̓̓ͩ ͮ̒tͫ̑ͨͩ͂ͣh̆͡e͐̉̃́m,́ ͋͗ͫ̌̆Di͛̔̍͂͜ṕ̍ͨͦp̀̉e̍̃̓̏r.ͪͮ̚ ͤ̀͛ͬ͛Wͦͤͪ̏̽͊͡öͥ̎ȕͮ̃͛ͨ͢l͋̏͐̎̐́ͯ́d̆̔͞nͩ̽ͣ͗͑̔͠'̓̌ṫ̸ͯ̈̑ͤ ͭ̑iͬ̇ţ͊͆͑̚ ̢̿̇̇ͥb̕e̅̏͡ ̃͊̾ͬ͛́fuͩͣnñ̆ͭ͑͗y͂̓̌͐?ͭͫ̔̈́ ͮ̾͗͝Hͭ̊̌ͪ͢i̧͆ͤͥ͌͊͋ľ̷ͫͬ̋̎ͫaͪ͐ͬͣ̏r͛io̅͑ͦͤ̎̾ųͭͪ̅̉̈͗sͥ͐͊ ̔͊̈̇̏͝ę͋ͦ̆v̔̓̉͆͢eǹ,ͮͣ ͐́̏͌͆̒͠to̐̒̋́͆ w̌̍͊͟ä̵́̀̽ͥͥ͆ͬt̓̑c͋ͧ̈́͑͊̌ͦ͟h̛͗ͦ ̅͗̅͛̀ẙou̽̿͗r oͯ̓̃ͣwn ͤ̄b̧͒ͩl̐o͡o͡d̵ ̅ͧśpͬ͐̅͜l͊̈̏͗ͪȁ̇͐t̛̒ͥ̍t̢̔͂͊ͩ͋e͐̑̄͑ͣ͊r̈́̐̋̋͛͛̆͡ ̛ͬ̃̆̀͋ͪ͆t̴ͫ͑̉͂ḧ́̾̓e͂ͤ́ ͫ̑̇̋̓ͫw̐͒ͪͥ͏ǎl̀̅̽̓ͫl̔s̏̒̊̽̍̀̂͘ ͧͧ̒̇̑̅ͯaͧ͋̍̋̕n̛̈d͋̽͆̍̚͠ ͂ͦͥͧh̡ͨ̓ͪ͊ͣ̈́̆e͋̐̔ͤ̓͋̍͟a̐̽ͬ͐̾̇rͨ͠ ̨̾ͩ͗̓͗t͐̍̓̃͛h̀ͫ̃̄ͮẽ̅ͧͭ͐͟m͑͂͢ ̸́ͦͩ͐̾̈́ͫs̛̿c͋ͮřͮ͆ĕ̀a͑́̒̀̎̒m̈́̀̐̌́ ̸͗ͯ̅̿oͣ̽ͥͩ̈́f̷ͧͪ ͛͊̄̃h͌̾a͌̃ͯṕͨͯͩp͆ͤͮ̿̊̄iͦ̎̃͒̔ͥn̏͞eͣ̕ssͯ̏ͩ͐ͪ̐̑ ̾̈̊͐̓̏bͥ̿eͣ͂cͫͪ͒͒̚҉ȃ̈u̔̐̌̒̍̂s̑e̵ ͩ̑ẗ́͞h͢e̐ŷ̴ͤ̎ͫ́ ͧͯ̓d̀oͪͪ̋̀̏͏n̑ͭ'ͤ̿ͪͣ̓t͌ ̏͝hͧ́͂ͩͦa͋̓ͬ̍̋ͫ͠v̸̓͗̈ͥͦ̽ͧeͮ̈ͩ͌̃ͧ͢ ̌͒̿̑tͬͮ̎ȍ͠ ̊͋͛̒ͫ͊̓͘t̴ͮ́͊͂͐a̴͛͗ͭ̾̚k̓͊e͒̽ͦ͆ ̸́̾c͑̑̚aͬ͋͌͞re̵ͩ̆̀̌̂ͣ ̸͋͗̒ͫ͒͐oͩ̕f͢ y̓̂̃öủ͗̋ ͏a̶̓̔̿͐̾͋n̈́y̨͒ͫ̅mͯͪͫͦ͆̏̑͠oͭ̍̔ͯ̈ͧͮr̸̐͆͑̚e̵̿ͬ?͛

_Dipper's jaw twitched, a scream at the base of his throat. But he wouldn't let it out just yet- he was still sane. After all, this has been happening since a few weeks ago. The voices in his head would tell him to kill his family, and he would refuse every single time. The voices would back off then, and he would be back in his own sad little world._

_But today, why did he almost say yes?_

_A shudder of the door being opened startled him, his head snapping upwards to locate the noise. It was, of course, Mabel Pines, his own twin, bringing him his breakfast in a gray tray with a juice pouch hanging from her mouth._

_She closed the door behind her with the back of her heel, coming closer to Dipper with a reassuring smile. Dipper smiled back, feeling the sides of his cheeks hurt from doing so._

_Mabel set down the tray with a clatter, crossing her legs in front of her as she slid the food to Dipper on his air mattress. She was sitting down on the cold floor, but she didn't seem to mind it all. "Eat," she told Dipper, "there's pancakes with syrup and butter, plus a juice pouch I snagged from the fridge."_

_Dipper thanked her under his breath, scooting closer to the tray set out in front of him. He tried to reach out to eat, but his arms felt restrained, making him a little frustrated. Right- the straitjacket._

_As if just realizing that Dipper couldn't eat with the jacket on, Mabel's head snapped up in surprise. "Oh! Sorry. Hehe, forgot about that," Mabel apologized, reaching over towards Dipper's back. Her cool hands found the belts that held the jacket together behind Dipper, about to unlatch the first one with a single snap of a wrist. But she hesitated, and Dipper craned his neck to look at her in confusion._

_"What? Something wrong?" Dipper asked, wiggling in his spot in case Mabel just needed some space. But his twin wasn't looking at a broken belt or anything- in fact, she was just frowning, her hands disappearing from around Dipper's back._

_"Dad told me not to let you out of your straitjacket unless it was necessary," Mabel whispered._

_Dipper frowned. "Well, I'm pretty sure eating is a necessary exception, don't you think?"_

_Mabel shook her head, sighing through her nose in frustration. She sat back down on the floor beside him, much to Dipper's confusion and frustration. After the pain had subsided, a dull pain all that was left, Dipper realized how hungry he was. He hadn't eaten since yesterday morning, and nowadays with his body still growing, that wasn't even enough for him._

_"Dipper," Mabel begged, "I can't. I'd be breaking the rules. And you know what happens when I do."_

_Dipper chewed on his bottom lip, his frustration deflating. Of course he knew. Mabel and him were always warned every time Mabel came to visit. If she stepped out of line to help Dipper, even once or for something very small, Dipper would be shipped off to a private hospital and Mabel would never be able to visit. And as much as Dipper missed food or having free reign of his own body, Mabel was the only person who kept him sane._

_And Mabel was the only person who knew about his nightmares._

_"Right. Sorry, sorry," Dipper muttered under his breath, hanging his head down in defeat._

_A fork clanged against a plate as Mabel took up his utensils, cutting up his pancakes and stabbing it with his fork. Mabel brought it up to Dipper's lips, one hand underneath the fork in case the syrup dripped to his bed._

_Dipper's nose wrinkled. He shook his head like a child trying to be fed vegetables, and Mabel even sighed like a tired mother. But of course, his equally stubborn twin didn't back down, his fork still in the air, waiting. "C'mon, Dippin' Dots," Mabel pleaded, her tone tired and drained. "It's not like this is the weirdest thing you've done before."_

_"I'm not a baby, Mabel," Dipper argued. Mabel raised an eyebrow._

_"No, but you're pretty much acting like one. No one's around, Broseph. And from the looks of it, you won't be able to eat on your own," Mabel pointed out._

_As much as he hated being wrong, Mabel had a point. Dipper grumbled swears under his breath, reluctantly opening his mouth for the food. Mabel's lips twitched in response, happy that they weren't going to have a full-blown argument this time. She placed the fork in his mouth, pulling it out when Dipper took up the pancake between his teeth. Dipper chewed, swallowed, and looked down at the pancakes as if they were magically going to go back into his mouth._

_Mabel laughed under her breath, stabbing some more pancakes into the fork. She layered them so Dipper could have more at once, making Dipper smile softly. Mabel placed the food into his mouth once more, letting Dipper chew for a while before she placed another._

_This went on for a couple minutes, with Mabel taking up pancakes, placing them in his mouth, chewing, and then repeating. It was quiet in his jail cell with no sounds but the sounds of soft chewing and laughter when syrup started dripping down Dipper's chin._

_Soon, the pancakes and juice were gone._

_"Be glad I didn't bring up Mabel Juice today," Mabel teased, setting down his fork back on the plate and tray. Dipper groaned, much to Mabel's amusement._

_"Oh, don't remind me. I think I was crazy enough to almost drink it last time," Dipper told her. Last time was last week, when Mabel came back in here to visit and Dipper was basically deprived of water. But since she couldn't take water in here all the way from the kitchen without seeming suspicious, Mabel had to go into her room and take her Mabel Juice. Dipper still couldn't believe that his Grunkle Ford loved it to death- he drank it on a daily basis if he could, always asking for more when he ran out. He guessed it was because of his Grunkle's iron stomach, but even then, how the hell could one man love Mabel Juice?_

_"Stop being so dramatic, Dippin' Dots. It isn't that bad," Mabel teased, punching his shoulder._

_Dipper gave her a pointed look. "Says the girl who went to the hospital because she ate scratch and sniff stickers."_

_"They smelled good!"_

_"So if a guy were to smell good, would you eat him?"_

_"Well, I mean yeah, because-"_

_"Mabel!" Dipper yelped, his face turning red. Embarrassment took the toll on him, his neck feeling hot to the touch. His sister merely laughed at him, still amused by the fact that he was flustered over these kinds of things. She took hold of her hair and started braiding it by the side, a habit of hers when she had nothing to do. And of course, being here with Dipper in a cold, sterile room, there was rarely anything to do but talk._

_"Say, when are you going to get a boyfriend, bro? It's time you start lookin'!" Mabel told him._

_Dipper huffed. "So?" he grumbled, "doesn't mean I automatically have to get a boyfriend. I mean, Grunkle Ford doesn't even have a girlfriend and he's over fifty."_

_"He was stuck in another dimension for over thirty years, Dipper," Mabel pointed out, her nimble hands still playing with her hair. "And I'm not saying you have to. But you know, I'm just looking out for you. It's like every single person you meet who seems to take an interest in you, you blast out of the room faster than when my puberty struck."_

_Dipper pouted childishly, his back sinking against the wall behind him. He didn't really want to talk about his love life at the moment, but there was nothing to talk about. Besides, he didn't even have one. So this topic was going to change the moment Mabel figured that out._

_"I've never met anyone I felt...that grand with, I guess," Dipper admitted quietly. Mabel smiled at him encouragingly, inviting him to keep talking. So Dipper took a deep breath, going into a long winded talk about his own stupid, non-existent soul mate._

_"I mean, we don't even know if soulmates exist. And if I do, it could be possible that I don't have one. I mean, who would like me instead of someone else, someone better? I'm just plain old Dipper. With mental issues too. If I could have a person who would love me for just, well, me, I would give out an arm and a leg, Mabel. Well I mean, there's you of course- but you had no choice to be in my life, didn't you? And hey, I'm still young. I could find that person somewhere along the way, I guess. But don't expect me to go looking for them. I'm fine on my own."_

_Mabel listened to his words intently, her head tilting to the side slightly when he finished. She chewed on her bottom lip, looking out into space as she thought about his words. It was quiet for a full thirty seconds (a world record on Mabel's part) before his twin began speaking as well. "Finding someone who would love all your scars and flaws is an impossible task, even I know that. But finding someone who would understand your scars and flaws is possible- and I think you need a person like that, Dipper. You need someone who could teach you to love, and them to love back in return. You're not a robot, Dipper, no one is. Even if your soul and heart gets torn apart, there will always be a piece of you that will know if a person is the one. But being desperate to feel like that is the reason why so much hate is in this world. Promise me you won't rush anything?"_

_Dipper's eyebrows furrowed at her words. "Whoa, since when did Mabel Pines ever get sentimental?" he teased. Mabel kicked his knee._

_"I mean it, Dipper," Mabel told him, "one day I won't be here to watch over your stupid butt. One day, I won't be able to comfort you when someone breaks your heart because I'd be halfway across the world in Paris or something. Promise me that you won't be desperate enough to give your heart to everyone who's willing to take it?"_

_"Yeah, yeah, I promise," Dipper assured her. He laid his head against the wall behind him, his neck craning up to the ceiling as he thought about it. "The world's against me having a soulmate, anyway. Remember that quiz thing online you made me take?"_

_Mabel snickered. "Yeah, I remember," she chirped, "it was quiz about what your soulmate would have. It kept crashing for the results."_

_"So apparently, my future spouse has no astrological sign, no birthday, no ethnicity, or even a goddamn face," Dipper said, saying it bitterly for effect. Mabel snickered, trying to cover up her laughter through her hand, but the laughter kept coming out nonetheless._

_"Maybe he's a demon from a second universe who comes down to Earth one day because he needs a favor and that favor has to come from you," Mabel told him, her eyes filled with amusement._

_Dipper's face wrinkled in disgust. "Are you referring that-?"_

_Mabel burst into fits of laughter. "I-_ hahaha! _You- your face! Y- you looked r- ready to- to- kill me!" Mabel laughed, falling to the floor with her arms clutched around her stomach._

_Dipper scowled, watching his sister explode with laughter, slumping against the wall. He let her laugh it out, because honestly, what else was there to do? His sister laughed and laughed and laughed, leaving Dipper to watch her with a glare. This happened often, he had to admit. But that didn't mean he had to like it._

_"S- sorry. I- I just-" Mabel snickered, slowly getting up from her spot on the floor. But to no avail of course, as she merely just crashed back down, her hands clamped over her mouth as she tried not to laugh again. Dipper's face was hot to the touch, and he didn't need a mirror to know that he was red as Mabel's Christmas sweater._

_"I hate you," Dipper grumbled._

_"Love you too, Bro-Bro," Mabel teased, her elbows slightly shaking as she brought herself up._

_"So, what do you want to do today? I have no school since it's Saturday," Mabel added quickly, almost as an afterthought. Dipper was genuinely surprised. He actually thought it was the middle of the week, not the end of it. He was losing track of time, that was for sure. But hey, he was surprised but happy at the news. That meant no staring at the wall for seven hours until Mabel got home._

_"Well, I mean, I really can't do anything with this thing on," Dipper told her, almost sourly as he wiggled uncomfortably in his straitjacket. Mabel frowned a little._

_"Dippin' Dots, are you trying to make me feel guilty?" Mabel scolded. She crossed her legs in front of her, putting her hands in her lap like a kindergartner ready to listen to a story. In a way, with her purple headband and over-sized sweater she slept in, she kind of did look like a child. Dipper mentally bet himself five bucks that she would still be wearing over-sized sweaters and making terrible puns when they were fifty with grandchildren and aunts and uncles all over the place._

_"What? I would never!" Dipper gasped dramatically. He tilted his body away from his sister in disgust, holding his chin up high like an emperor being told that his clothes looked vile in light._

_Mabel snickered, kicking him lightly. "I can ask if I can take it off later. But for now, we have to do something that doesn't involve arms," Mabel told him. Dipper pouted._

_"Then that means talking. There's literally nothing to do without arms but talk," Dipper whined._

_"Then we talk! What's so bad about talking?" Mabel asked him. Dipper gave her a pointed look. For the last few weeks, that was literally all they did- talk, talk, and did some more talking. It was interesting the first few days, but the topics were getting more and more bland or weird._

_"It's not the talking that's bad," Dipper replied, "it's you and your weird ideas about unicorn hair."_

_"What? Unicorn hair can cure cancer! Do you have any idea how much that could help the world?" Mabel snorted, slightly offended that her twin would say such a thing. "But yeah, I can see where you're coming from, Dip. We keep running out of ideas to talk about."_

_"So, what now? We sit in silence and contemplate our life?" Dipper asked sarcastically._

_"Not a bad idea, actually," Mabel said, looking up at the ceiling with two fingers on her invisible beard in deep thought._

_Dipper sighed. "Mabel, that's not what I-"_

_Mabel waved a hand in dismissal. "Yeah, yeah," Mabel said, "it's boring, you've been staring at the wall for hours on end thinking about your life everyday anyway, but- don't you think it's time we talked about what happened?"_

_A cold hand squeezed around Dipper's throat. He swallowed the large lump in his throat as best as he can, panic swelling up throughout his whole body. His head spun wildly like he went out on a drinking binge, ringing filling his ears._

_Seeing the distress in her twin's eyes, Mabel frowned. "Okay, okay, bad idea, right," she said quickly, trying her best to soothe her brother. She tugged on his straitjacket, trying to get his attention. Dipper looked at her with slight panic, but the distress was slowly fading at her words. "I won't force you to talk about it, I know what it's done to you, Dip. I know exactly what it's done to everyone, even if they don't show it. You're safe, Dipper. He's dead, he's gone."_

_Dipper's breath hitched at her words. Dead. Gone. Right?_

_"Dipper!" Mabel snapped, her eyes wide in fear as Dipper's shoulders shook in convulsion._

_Small hands clung onto Dipper's shoulders, shaking him profusely. Dipper's vision spun and turned, his ears filled with the laughter of the demon who took his sanity. "Dipper! I'm sorry!_ I'm sorry! _I- I didn't mean-"_

_A sting blossomed on his left cheek, his head snapped to the right. He looked up in confusion, the cloudy feeling vanishing ever so slowly. The stinging pain bloomed throughout the left side of his face, making it feel swelled and prickly. Mabel slapped him._

_"What is your name?" Mabel demanded._

_When he didn't reply, Mabel shook him, raising a hand to slap him once more. The threat of another slap wasn't what jarred him to answer, it was the complete fear and terror in his twin's eyes. Fear of him._

_"D- Dipper Pines," he sputtered out._

_"Who am I?" Mabel asked, slightly quieter._

_"Mabel Pines," Dipper answered, almost as quiet, "m- my twin."_

_"Where do we go every summer?" she murmured. Her hands were loosening around his shoulders. He didn't know if that was a good sign or not. He couldn't help but feel dread worm its way tightly around his stomach. She shouldn't have done that. She should've held onto him. He's g- going to-  
_

_"Gravity Falls," Dipper whimpered, "we stay at the Mystery Shack that belongs to Soos."_

_Mabel looked into his eyes, her own eyes still filled with the same fear that clung onto her the moment Dipper began showing signs of insanity. But the fear began to melt, changing into the look Mabel always gave him when Dipper was doing something completely normal. The love for her twin was what was going to get herself killed, and Dipper was beginning to feel its toll. No, no, no-_

_Mabel Pines let go of his straitjacket, sitting her butt down back on the floor beside his mattress. A decision was creeping around his head, clinging onto every part of his decision-making like an infection No, no, no,_ NO, NO-

_"Where is Bill Cipher?" Mabel interrogated. But her tone and voice was soft, like a mother coaxing their child back to sleep after a nightmare. It was soothing Dipper, but it did not help with persuading the monster out of him._

_"Dead. Gone. Grunkle Stan killed him," Dipper whispered._

P ht zapss olyl, Wpul Ayll. Fvb jhuuva nla ypk vm h tvuzaly. Huk myhursf- fvb'yl vul avv.

_A laugh echoed through the depths of his mind. A familiar, bloodcurdling laugh that turned his body to ice._

_"Good," Mabel soothed, putting a comforting hand on his knee in case he was going to panic again. She squeezed his knee reassuringly when Dipper frowned, a frown she misunderstood. "Good, Dipper. Don't- don't scare me like that ever again, you hear me?"_

_"Don't worry, I won't. Not after today," Dipper assured her, lifting his head to smile at her. A poor attempt, he must say. But to her, it was enough. And to him- it was a smile of a boy about to slaughter._

_"C- can you get me out of this straitjacket for a moment, Mabel? I can't feel my arms," Dipper complained, twisting around in his jacket for emphasis. He wasn't lying, at least- he literally couldn't feel his arms._

_Mabel smiled kindly at him, but there was still hesitation in her face. Dipper was glad she was hesitating. She can't bring him out of this jacket, she can't. She's smarter than this, she knows when he's breaking, she knows when her own twin isn't talking right-_

_"For a couple minutes for a little break, okay? Mom will kill me if she found out I let you out," Mabel laughed, reaching over for the back straps._

No. No, p- please, not her- don't take anyone but her-

B̭͙u͕̼͖͚t̲͔̺ ̙̳s̹̳he̟̬̗̖̬ ̭̪̘̭d̯ḛ̙̹̫̬͉̱s̟̗̝̻e͖r͈̲͎v̘̮̭͙̭̣ḛ̦̭̗͉̠s̟ ͇͕̲̗̖͈̞a̠͚̩̮̗̰ͅ ͓͓b̯̟̲̱͈̪e̫t̮͇t͎e̯r̘̣ p̗lạ̰c̞̤̺̼̹̗e̗̙̗̟̜̟̖ ̦̫͙̟͓͉t̥͚h̟̲̤̱an̟̭͎̙ ̦̼̺̞h͕̙͈̜̩ͅe͍͙̪ͅr̰̜̯̺̞e̬͖͖͎̲ ̥͔w͓ͅi͚̩͇̫ṯ̭͉̤̣h̺̪ͅ ỵ̥͇͙̱̰̜o͔͈͇͍͕̗ͅu,̤͔͕̬͍͙̰ ̦͇̻͇̻͖̩do͎̤̤e̲s̲͖̻̳̜̜̜n̟̭͍̲͇'͕͚͙̻͇͚t ͇̯̳̬̱̘s̗h̲e?

S- she has a life. I- I can't kill her, she's my twin, I'm supposed to protect-

A̘̙̭͙̟n̰̤̤͈̬̖͈d̤͕ ̹͓̗̱p͚͖̰r̩̟͓̖͔͉̙o̺͈͍t̥͉e̝͓͍͎͈ct̝i̞̟̲̭̤̙̼ng̖͙͉̳̞̜ͅ ͚͈y͓̟̟̻ou̙̝͇̰̼ ̗̫̼̞͖͎̻ẉ̝͍͎̲̣i̭͕͍͓̣l͙̞̦̱͍̟̹l ̹͕̫͔d͎̙o͎̮̟͔͖̫.̠͉͇̰ D̝̥̗o̮̘͓̳͓̙͖n̟̱̘̥̩̯̻'̖̠̫̬̬t͔͓̝͍͖ ͇̬̦you͍̹̩ ̝͇͙͙t̪̣h͔̦͖̞͉̘ink͙̼̫ ̜̹̼̤̫s̺͇̭h̗̞̮ͅe̠͍͖̥̤̖̜'̲̰̬l̲͔̯̟̣ͅl̦̦͇̖̙ͅ ͓̙ͅb̙̼͍̳̝̖e̦͎̹ ̯̭̻̝p̦̲ro̦̪t̫͔̻̫̺̲̯e͇̗c̣̜͈̞͕̦t̖̭̖̹̼̩ed ̝̱͈̤̳̯̥f̖̗̜̱o̱̘r̥̤̖͓̯̫͚ ̬̗̮̼ͅl͓i͎̤̯͎̪̲ͅf͍̘̞e ̜̭̫̤̝i͇̦̙͎ͅf̭̳͓̻̫̩ ̥͚̝s̞̼̣̥̘h̯͎̜̲̱̹e͙̻̤ͅ'̙̪̤̹s ̫̥͎̯̥̖̜d͉͓̯̬̦̱̮ea͔̖̖̳̦̖ͅd,͈͎̘̹̬̩ͅ ̟̯̯̻̥̼̳w̲͎̰̟̭̤i͕̼͍͇̝̞̩t̯̱̟h͓o̺̘͈̺u̪t̝͖̟ͅ ͇͎y͇ou͙̯̬͖͕̳̯ ̩̹̱̝͇̫or̙̗̮͙̭̺̳ ̻ț̞̗h̻͈e͎̹̦ ̭̰̠̟͈ͅs͚̠̙̩̺̼͇t̬̮̣̥r͓̱͚͍͙̝e̥̲̺͙s̗̰̠̤ͅs̯̳̼̫̪̲̮ t̺h͍a̪̲͕t ͖̫̰̮͎c͙oͅm͓̣̘̭̖e̝̙̥̬͕s͚͔̞̳̼̻͚ ̲̖͚͙ͅw͔i̭̠ͅt̝h̘̪̰ i͍t̯̻͓?̳̭̯

Please...don't kill Mabel...I love her and she's-

S̩͉̘h̞͚͓e̙̥̲'͎͚s͕̣̦̝̲̺̯ ̬̺̖͕͙w͙̤̝̩̠̞̹h̠̰̰̥̲͔a̹̭͙̝͚t̟̹?͈̞̰͔̟͔ ̗̗͎̰Y̮̙̺o̙̣̖u lo̯͚̠̲̟v̼̲e ͖̱̮͍h̲̺̼̝͓̟e̯̗͈̗̤͍r.̖̙ ̳̰͈͕̞Ṣ̱̪͈̬̳̳o̥͔̝̜̲̬ ̮͇͇d͕o̳͓̗̝̩̹n̻̤̦͎̣'̝t ̹̥̭͈ỵ̖͔̥̰̰̤o̼̲̥u̱͍ ̜̤͇̼̥̼̘w̯̘̩a̮̙̱̮n̩̬̫̳̙̞̟t͈̘͉ ͇̞̻͚̥̱̫h͖͖e̳̗̝̬̺ͅṟ͓̩̺ ͈̹͍d͇e̙̺͈a̗̱̖̣̩͍̣ḏ̼̝ ̜̩̝s͔̠̮o̲͇ ͙̪̻͚s̻h̩e̞̣̯ ͔̫͇̹̯̩̦d̖̥̥͙ͅọ̯̲̱̬̜̫e̯͈ͅsn̟͕̱̱̗̤'̣̟͚t̞͕͔̖͎ ͍h̳̣̖av͉e͈ ͎t̰̙̣̻̼͕͔o̻͙̥ ̬t͓͙a͖͎͔͎̥k͙̩͈̙͎̲ḛ̦̣̞̱̘ ̱̮c͙͎a̮̝͇̘̺̜r̗e̫̟̣͙̯ ̞o̦f͉ ͅy͕̰̞̻̱͕o͔u͔?

...yes.

_One strap came undone. Dipper swallowed, his pupils dilating in fear. But his muscles didn't even twitch as a countdown came with each belt._

_Another strap. Then two at the same time. Then three._

_Mabel hummed underneath her breath, undoing each and every single strap as fast as she could. But she had no idea that the faster she was doing it, the faster she was going to be killed._

_Dipper's lips trembled as he tried to form words, to take control of his body again. But it was like he was possessed all over again- the feeling of his body no longer there, but his mind very much alive. He screamed in the dark void of his mind, screaming to let himself back in like a cornered animal ready for slaughter. A last chance, and that was all he needed. Just a slim chance. He needed to die before he could kill his sister or anyone else he loved._

_"M- Mabel," he stammered, his voice croaky and strained against his throat. It took him a long time and a lot of strength to get those words out- and he wished that the small thread holding his sanity in place was enough to let him talk for a few more minutes._

_"Hmm?" Mabel hummed, singing a tune underneath her breath. 'You are my sunshine' he realized. She didn't hear the panic in his voice as he spoke. But of course, he was trying his best to stay calm- for Mabel's benefit._

_"You know I love you, right?" Dipper muttered._

_"Uh, yeah? Dude, we're twins. Do you seriously have to ask that?" Mabel snorted, undoing the third to last strap on his back. The straitjacket was loosening, and Dipper was able to move his arms a little bit more. Soon, his arms would be around Mabel's neck. The thought almost made him bark out in glee._

_"Mabel, I'm going to kill you," Dipper whispered harshly. He laughed softly under his breath, a breathy laugh that scratched his throat. Mabel stiffened, her hands hesitating with the second to last strap. "I'm going to- to- murder you."_

_"Dipper, chill with the threats, will ya?" Mabel laughed quietly, oblivious to his very, very real threat. She was way too used to it. She didn't know when he was joking or being serious._

_Dipper's bottom lip quivered. She undid the last strap, letting his arms free from the hell called a straitjacket. She helped him out of him, laughing when he used the last of his strength to keep it on. He didn't speak, he didn't move a muscle. She thought he was just being stubborn. She had no idea how right she was- but in a very different way._

_"There, now you're free, Dippin' Dots. So do you want to play battleships or-?"_

_A thud sounded through the room as Mabel's back hit the floor painfully, a cry of pain barely escaping her lips as Dipper pressed his thumbs against the base of her neck, pressing harder and harder. His knees rested on her stomach, so no matter how hard Mabel struggled, she was held in place. A gurgle came out of her mouth, her eyes wide in fear as her fingernails dug into Dipper's elbows._

_"Dip-" Mabel choked out, her body trying its hardest to squirm out of Dipper's grasp. But Dipper's knees dug in painfully into her sides, making her eyes huge with pain. His fingers gouged into his twin's skin, red prickling blood showing up in between his nails._

_His body shut down to his control, only obedient to the one command that was implanted into his mind the first day he had those nightmares- kill Mabel Pines._

_His mind and subconscious screamed out in terror as his eyes were forced to look down at the face of his choked sister, her eyes wide with shock and alarm. And fear- of him. Poor unstable Mabel, always so ignorant and innocent to the fact that her own brother had the temptation to kill her from day one. Poor, poor Mabel, who had all the trust that her brother would be better without help, and that her original plan was just a backup to never be used._

_Dipper giggled ear-splittingly, half of his mind proud that he finally got this done, that he was finally done being insane. His fingernails never loosened around Mabel's throat, but instead deepened, thin trails of blood coating his knuckles and fingers. He could feel his sister's pulse right underneath his fingers- a heavy thump of her heart, fast and quick. She was panicking, her body giving in to the shock._

_Dipper laughed louder, enjoying the feeling of her heartbeat gradually slowing down underneath his fingers. It was too slow for his taste, but he might as well savor it, right? Today was the day he saved his sister. Today was the day a shooting star was dying, and he loved it. Perhaps one day he could bring her back from that cave, the cave in which Grunkle Ford and him went exploring into. Oh, the cave. He loved that place so much._

_So, so many people wanted his sister's soul. They kept thinking a woman was her, and tortured the poor woman in order to gain the hardened soul. That was why Dipper became so protective of Mabel over the years- they were all out to get Mabel. Mabel Pines, the broken shooting star in the new set of symbols that appeared the day Weirdmageddon finished. He knew just by looking at that one particular symbol that she was going to die, that she was going to be used all over again and he couldn't stop it. Even Grunkle Ford knew it, and they were all trying to act like it was nothing. But not him. He went insane, went crazy by seeing those symbols- he studied for nights on end, coming up with nothing but the sense of dread that this meant Bill was coming back._

_And he didn't tell anyone that but Mabel, who acted like it was nothing. He told Mabel that she was going to be used, to die before she could live happily again, but she acted like it was all a joke. Those nightmares- they weren't about his fears about being killed and tortured by Bill. They were nightmares about the insanity of Bill Cipher, who was going to come back if there was a new ladder._

_Those nightmares weren't just about him- they were about the feeling of alarm as the new prophecy-like symbols weren't just about Mabel, but himself. He couldn't- he couldn't remember what the code meant on the copied parchment of the symbols on the wall- he tried to forget it the moment he cracked it. But it made him psychotic, wanting to kill his sister as soon as possible before anyone could take advantage of her purity._

_But not anymore. They can't have her if she's dead, right?_

_He was doing her a favor._

_Mabel's nails dug into his own flesh, but he barely felt it. He didn't know if it was from the long time of staying in that straitjacket or if it was because his mind was clouded over, but he was glad he didn't feel the pain. The pain made him remember things he didn't want to at the moment. The pain made him think of Bill._

_The brown-haired girl let out a scream, a last resort tactic that many, many animals used. It usually never worked, and Dipper knew that from experience. It made him laugh, seeing that someone else was on the other end of his pain. It made his hands thrust in deeper into her skin, letting her face turn into a shade of purple and blue._

_A click of a safety being put off, and a shot rang through the air._

_Then the side of his head felt numb as he tumbled out below Mabel, his face hitting the floor beside her. His ears rang from the hit, feeling warm, sticky blood coat the left side of his head. He touched the spot gingerly, his blood mingling with Mabel's. He looked at his shaky hand, his vision blackening in and out from the shock. His blood was blacker than Mabel's- making his hand seem like a coated painting._

_Pacifica screamed, her eyes wide with terror as she found Mabel's throat dry with blood. With so much being lost around her neck, it was almost certain that it was too late for the shooting star to live._

_Dipper laughed. Then laughed louder. Until his throat was scratchy and strained, he kept laughing. He was so amused by the sight of Pacifica Northwest crying over his almost unconscious sister. And what's more- his parents and Grunkles were here, all screaming when they saw Mabel Pines on the floor with a bloodied neck. They paid no heed to the deranged boy, crouching over the dying, falling star._

_Anger and frustration filled the pit of his stomach. Oh, so they care about Mabel and not him? Well, of course. Mabel was the family glue, of course. Without her, everything would fall apart. And they loved her very much for that. After all, what has Dipper done for this goddamn family? He has been nothing but a nuisance for everyone, a burden to be carried while so many was already put behind their backs. But why pay attention to her now, and not him? Did they not realize that the family breaker was right there, right there in front of them? Can one of them just kill him and get this over with? Are all of them so much of assholes that they want to keep him alive to let Bill into his mind even more?!_

_And without thinking, he lunged for the armed pistol dropped by the Northwest Brat, no one paying attention to his actions as they called out helplessly for a half conscious girl. Pacifica was calling an ambulance, and his parents were crying out and holding onto both of her cold, fragile hands._

_No one even saw him come close, putting the muzzle of the gun right in between his forehead._

_And when they did, they all went quiet, no one moving a muscle. Their cries and sobbing subsided, their eyes wide with fear and panic as he dug the muzzle deeper into his skin. He wanted to laugh. So now they care? They care only if he jeopardized his life?_

_"Dipper, when in heaven's name are you-?" Grunkle Ford demanded._

_"She's dead," Dipper snickered, his eyes wide with insanity. He stepped backwards, away from his family. Grunkle Ford, who was crouching beside Mabel to test her dying pulse, got up ever so slowly, putting out his six-fingered hands in front of him to show that he meant no harm. Oh, but he meant so much harm and danger to Dipper._

_"L- let me go back to the cave," Dipper whispered harshly, his voice prickling with desperation. His parents watched him with sadness and disappointment in their eyes, snapping something within Dipper. All he wanted was to make them proud one day, to see the pride in their eyes as he walked up those steps to get his degree. And now, they were looking at him as if he were a monster, as if he weren't their son, not anymore._

_And perhaps they were right._

_"Let me open the portal and let that stupid demon in here. He's not dead, is he?" Dipper asked, his voice just barely above a whisper. The group gathered in front of him didn't respond, making him slide his finger to the trigger. His family flinched, and Grunkle Stan even came forward with panic in his eyes, being held back by his six-fingered freak of a brother. "Isn't he?!"_

_"No," Grunkle Stan murmured, being the first to break the silence. After all, he was the one who banished the demon- he knows first hand to know what happened to the bastard. "No, he's not. Banished, but not dead. You can't kill demons, kid. They will regenerate if you do."_

_"Then what the hell did you do to him?! Did you trap him inside the darkest part of your mind?" Dipper demanded, his voice snapping with anger.  
_

_Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford shared looks of uncertainty, while his parents looked between the dispute with furrowed brows. They didn't know what happened to him during that summer, both sets of twins agreeing to never tell them in case they changed their minds to let Dipper and Mabel go back to Gravity Falls with Soos. In fact, his Grunkles shouldn't even be here. They should be on a wonderful expedition, making up for the lost time they spent apart, instead of taking care of a broken grand-nephew like him._

_"No, he got booted out of my mind the moment my mindscape went up in flames," Grunkle Stan admitted quietly. "He's trapped in some sort of bubble prison thing. Kind of like Mabel's. The bastard had it coming."_

_"That means we have to kill him. That- that prophecy thing!" Dipper gasped, his hand shaking. He had to grip the pistol with both hands to keep it steady on his forehead. "He's- he's going to come back. He's going to kill us all. H- he was going to kill Mabel last t-"_

_"Dipper, are you even listening to me?!" Grunkle Stan roared. His age seemed more clearer than before- stress lines outlined his face, his eyes wide with a weariness toned to it. His counterpart, Stanford, seemed just as tired, though his face was blank and stone-like._

_"A demon can't be killed, no matter how much you think so. Bill Cipher is too cold, too heartless to let his guard down and let himself be killed off like that. That bubble prison can't be broken, believe me. I don't even know where it is. But for god's sake, Dipper- Bill Cipher is gone for good. He's not coming back!" Grunkle Stan shouted angrily, trying to make Dipper see his point._

_Dipper flinched, but didn't let go of his gun. "Then explain the prophecy Explain to me why there are symbols like that on the goddamn cave when there used to be the Cipher Wheel!" Dipper screamed, his hands shaking uncontrollably._

_This time, it was his quiet Grunkle Ford who answered his question. "That 'prophecy' isn't even a prophecy," he muttered, "it's just instructions on how to open the gates for other demons. It's ten times stronger than the rift, and can open literally any dimension. I don't know who found the instructions but only decided to leave it there and never open it, but it was a foolish act. Those symbols represent the souls needed to be taken. This is why so many others tried to find replicas of Mabel. They know who the shooting star is, and you basically gave over her soul for nothing."_

_Dipper bared his teeth at his words. "We need to take her body to the cave in order to let her soul be taken," Dipper snarled, "I let her live."_

_"You don't understand, Dipper!" Ford snapped back. An ambulance siren was faintly heard in the background, a clock ticking down until Dipper had to make his decision. But he already made it- he just needed Ford to keep talking._

_"If her soul passes, then it will take up a new host. By then, demons and humans alike will know that the purest of souls has been transferred, and a baby will be easy to find," Ford snarled, taking a step forward towards Dipper. Dipper stepped back in return._

_"The portal will be one step closer to being unlocked, Dipper. Do you understand how dangerous that can be?" Grunkle Ford whispered. When Dipper didn't respond, his mouth clamped shut, Ford laughed bitterly. "It will be much bigger than Weirdmageddon, Dipper. During that time, Bill only had access and allies through a limited amount of dimensions. But this portal- it will open everything, including Bill. Do you understand?"_

_"I do," Dipper spat, his eyes hardened in hatred. Ford's words were getting to him, but he didn't let it take over. He made a firm, stubborn decision, and nothing could stop him. "Explain to me this, then. How do you suppose we close the fucking portal then?"_

_"We need all those souls," Ford murmured. "We find them all, and we can erase the instructions and let the portal be broken for good. But it's too dangerous. Gathering them, there will be a chance someone would kill those souls, like a gamble basically. There's nothing we can do but make sure no one else gets taken."_

_A transfer, that was what Ford explained to him when they found the cave when he was thirteen. You cannot just kill a person in that cave and expect the soul to be made into a key- it would just transfer into a reincarnate of a newborn. You had to kill them in a way to make sure their mindscape disappeared, like by smashing in their skulls. Or, you take their hearts. Literally and mentally. Crush them, make them insane until their hearts belonged to no one but the captor or to no one at all. You would know if it was done right when their chests turned black, like the difference between a soul's color._

_Souls were meant to be white with purity. The whiter, the more pure. Most peoples' were tinged with blue, red, or even yellow. But when Dipper came into the cave, he was told his heart was already shaded with black._

_Outside, the sound of the sirens disappeared, replaced by the sounds of yelling and doors being slammed open and closed. They were here. He barely had any time left._

_"If I find a way to break the portal," Dipper whispered, "will you all forgive me?"_

_"Dipper-" his mother croaked out._

_"No! No, don't answer me!" Dipper screamed, his voice wild with madness. His family and Pacifica flinched. Between them, Mabel's eyes were slowly cracking open, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. No one noticed, as usual._

_"I- I'm going to leave. Right now," Dipper told them, his voice low. "No one come after me, or else I'm going to shot myself. Or Mabel. Or anyone of you. I'm going to dedicate my whole fucking life to this goddamn portal to find a way to shut it down. I don't care if I die in the process. That was what my mind has been telling me this whole fucking time. I- I have to shut it down."_

_"Don't," Mabel sobbed out, causing everyone to look down at her in surprise. Her face was still purple from Dipper's choke, her neck still dried with blood. Her voice was croaky and scratchy, a toll taken in by Dipper. She looked about ready to pass out. "Don't. Please don't. Don't spend your whole life dedicated to saving the whole world again. The- the world already owes so much to you, Dipper."_

_"I'm not doing this for the world," Dipper said coolly, bringing the pistol down from his face. His parents' shoulders relaxed when he did so, his Grunkles stepping towards him subconsciously. But he merely stepped backward, his back close to the locked up window behind him. It was the only window in the room, and it was heavily locked and monitored as well. They didn't know that he found a way to break it, to change the security camera to play a ten hour loop of nothing but the window looking empty. He planned this out carefully- of course, he had weeks and weeks of planning._

_"I'm doing this for you," Dipper told his sister, his eyes focused on Mabel. Mabel's brow furrowed. She started coughing soon after, a price to pay for sitting up so fast after being choked and close to death. "I'll be back when I find them all, I promise. I'll- I'll make all of you finally realize that I'm worth so much more than you see me as."_

_He shot a random spot near his family, letting the screams fill up the room. Dipper turned around, unhooked the window in an instant, and jumped out._

_But his collar was pulled back, choking him. He was dragged to the ground, his chest being crushed down by a weight. He latched onto familiar arms, looking up at his Grunkle Stan with a glare. He sputtered out words too incoherent to hear, his Grunkle's eyes dark._

_Mabel was right behind him, her eyes wide with tears trailing down her face._

_No._

_No._

NO.

_NO, NO, N̴ͮ͌ͣ̈̑̒̌͂̚͝͏̤̩̳̣̰̪̼̙̞̯̣̻̪́͘O̷̠̞̩͎̥͙͇̮ͥ͒ͥ͑͆ͭͭ̋͡,̧̖̖̭̤̖̤̩̤̖̯̪̥̙̖̼͂ͦ̓ͪ͗͊ͪͭͭ̐̐̐͂̔̇̊̽ͥ̈́̀͢ ̵̻̺̭͙̟͛̓͆̓͂̀͛ͤ̾̀̓ͪ̈́̎̐ͫͫ͐N̸̷̸̄̊̽̊ͥ̃̎ͥ͑҉͍͍̝͈̳̲͚̪̜̙̻͙̱̺̠̰̯ͅO̸̴̜̻̤̥ͫ̊̑͑̇́̉̒ͬ͋̅ͣ͘͟-̶̧͍̤͉̦̬͓̥̫̪͚͚͕̲͍̫̳̀͌̉̃̿͛͂̀ͯͦ͂̀̿ͯ̂̐ͅ_

_"YOU PLANNED THIS!" Dipper screamed, spitting out the words. His door burst open, letting in doctors and policemen. Mabel cringed behind their Grunkle, while Grunkle Stan merely clenched his jaw, holding him down to the ground firmly as he continued to struggle. "MABEL!_ MABEL! _HELP ME! PLEASE! THEY'RE-!"_

_A sight of the tip of a gun was placed right in between his vision, right between his forehead. It shook violently, but Dipper knew exactly what it was. The Memory Erasing Gun._

_They destroyed it years ago. Didn't they? So this wasn't real then._

_"I- I spent weeks working on it for you," Mabel told him, her voice shaky. Grunkle Stan's eyes averting from the gun, knowing the power of it all too well. "It was my Plan B. I- I didn't think I'd use it on you. I thought- I thought you were going to be better than this, Dipper."_

_"Mabel," Dipper sobbed. "P- please, I will. I just need time. Please, please don't-"_

_His pleas went up in flames as Mabel twisted the dial, her eyes a void of nothing. He screamed louder, thrashing around. He headbutted his Grunkle, but Grunkle Stan merely grunted, staying firm on the ground to keep Dipper down. He wailed, feeling heat pick up in the gun. The tip of it was turning blue, ready to erase all his memories and leaving him an empty shell._

_"M- Mabel!" Dipper howled, his body screaming in agony as his Grunkle's hands dug into his arms harder the more he fought back. "Stop it! Stop! I- I'm better, I- I promise! I'm still Dipper! I'm still here! I'm-"_

_Mabel shook her head, swallowing a heavy lump in her throat. Her eyes were red and puffy, medics coming to her side. She shook them off, muttering something under her breath for them. They backed off, just for a couple of feet to see what she was doing. Most of them looked down at Dipper in pity, making the brunet scream out louder. His sister was embarrassing him, even to his last breath._

_"You're not Dipper," Mabel murmured, only loud enough for him to barely hear. "You're dead."_

_"MABEL!"_

_A pull of the trigger, a scream that ripped through his throat, and Dipper Pines was gone._

"-ipper?! Dipper?!"

His shoulders shook vigorously, nails digging into Dipper's skin. 

Vomit made its way up Dipper's throat, but he kept it down, putting a hand to his mouth as he smothered the feeling. The hands around his shoulders left, letting him to fall to his knees. 

Dipper's ears rang, his mind feeling drained and tired. Vomit kept trying to make its way up, no matter how hard he tried to keep it down. So he emptied the contents of his already empty stomach, yellow acid dripping to the floor as he coughed it out painfully. He panted, his chest heaving up and down with the beat of his heart going overdrive. It felt so _real-_ like he was actually there at the moment to witness it, to _feel_ it. 

So Mabel lied to him at the amusement park. Partly, at least. He was suicidal in a way- but it wasn't depression that got to him- it was _Bill._

Bill. Bill Cipher, his lover. Bill Cipher, a demon who's not able to love and lied and manipulated him for weeks to get what he wanted. 

Dipper was nothing but a pawn, and Mabel tried warning him. But he paid no attention.

"Dipper..." a soft voice murmured, making his head crane upwards to find the source. Such a familiar voice, speaking a familiar name- but at the same time, the name wasn't right on that tongue. It was so wrong to have that name be spoken by that voice. So, so wrong.

Dipper stared into two orbs, familiar but not exactly right. One was hazel cracked with cobalt blue, a zigzag of blue like someone tried cracking his eye open, and the other normally colored blue. They were both strikingly beautiful, the eyes filled with extreme pain.

"What have you done?" the holder of the eyes whispered, a voice so soft and horrified at the same time. 

Dipper's brow furrowed in confusion, trembling up on his feet. He tried to pick himself up, but he felt too weak, fragile and powerless. Anyone would feel the same when they find out that both their twin and lover betrayed them in ways they could never imagined. Or that their lover never loved them truly in the first place.

So instead of getting up from the cold, wet floor, Dipper looked up, squinting at the boy in front of him. It was not Bill.

Or at least, Bill's original body.

He still had some of his old body's qualities- blond hair, slightly skinny build, tall, typically strong. But the smaller details, the details that Dipper was seeing, it was all gone, disappeared to new ones- freckles, his striking new eyes, and so much more that Dipper had trouble seeing at the moment. He averted his eyes away from Bill to avoid seeing more, to avoid _remembering_ more.

Behind them, a small rift was opened and slowly closing, so close to looking like the one during Weirdmageddon. Except in the inside, it was just pure blue- the same shade as Bill's eyes. Dipper let him in here. He summoned the demon.

"You killed her," Dipper whispered, his voice quivering. _"You fucking killed her."_

Bill didn't reply for a good moment. "Dipper-"

"No!" Dipper screamed, his voice hysterical once more, like his scene when he got his memory erased by his only trusted person. He didn't know where he found the strength all of a sudden, but he stood up, facing the boy who took his sanity and sister. 

Bill was equally the same height as Dipper now, but Bill's eyes made him feel smaller. He hated to admit that he got lost in them, in the artistry of his new eyes. The cracks were beautifully delicate, like a sculptor took their precious time to make it look the way it was. Shockingly blue, like the color of his heart when he saw Bill in that room, making out with someone else but him. He realized with a start that blue could mean many things- confidence, importance, _love._ The crack in one eye was like Bill's soul- just a tiny piece clinging on to the body. But too much blue was a different story- depression, negativity, suspicion. His right eye was completely that color- a window of his personality, really.

Somehow, Bill managed to find his own body instead of possessing one, making one out of the remaining parts of his soul. 

"Why? Why would you kill her?" Dipper asked, his voice genuinely curious and grieved. "Did you kill her so you could unlock the portal? Were you just pretending to like me so you could get close to _her?"_

"No, no of course not," Bill murmured, stepping backwards, "I- I lost my original body. I needed-"

"-her soul?" Dipper laughed bitterly. He stepped towards Bill. "It was always after that piece of her, wasn't it? No one wanted her just for her _heart,_ am I right? It's always what you wanted personally to your benefit, Bill. You don't do anything for anyone but yourself."

Bill cringed, standing his ground. Dipper stopped in front of him, jabbing a finger towards Bill's chest. The blue-eyed boy's white t-shirt was slick with dirt and sweat, but Dipper didn't question why. "You didn't like me, not one bit, not like that, didn't you? You were using me," Dipper said, his tone suggesting that it was statement, not a question.

Bill's eyes hardened, and to Dipper's surprise, took Dipper's wrist and swatted it away from his chest. "She was going to die, anyway!" Bill snarled, "do you know how close she was to dying over the past few weeks?! It was because of _me_ that she stayed alive for so long! It was because of _your_ reckless ass that got her in trouble!"

"Me?!" Dipper roared, pointing a thumb at himself in complete, utter disbelief. "I wasn't the one who fucking _murdered_ her just so they could get a new body. Say what you want, Bill, but you never saved her. You killed her, and you're not even showing a little bit of remorse for it."

"Speak for yourself, kid," Bill snapped, his eyes hardened with anger and disgust. "Who mercilessly stabbed their Grunkle to try and save their stupid sibling? Who laughed and became crazy because they couldn't prevent something that was _meant_ to happen?"

 _"You could've stopped it!"_ Dipper screamed, catching Bill off guard.

"You could've saved her! You should've let yourself be killed instead of taking a perfect girl!" Dipper screamed again, shoving Bill with his arms. Bill merely stumbled backwards, looking at Dipper with nothing but malice laced in his eyes.

"I need to be here, you idiot," Bill snarled, "I need to have a human body or-"

"Or what, Bill?" Dipper snapped, his hands clenched tightly by his sides. They shook, waiting to be connected with Bill's face. How? How did he ever fall in love with this asshole? "Did you need to get close to me so I could do your dirty work?"

Bill's jaw clenched, a vein pulsing out from beneath his chin. "You're half right, _Dipper_ ," Bill snarled, Dipper's own name sounding so foreign on the boy's tongue. It made Dipper flinch. "I wasn't supposed to fall in love with you. I wasn't supposed to be tangled up with these- these _feelings._ But I did, and there is no way out. Do you have any idea how much I did for _you?_ Don't you dare call me a selfish bastard, because I've done so much things for your stupid family than I ever will for my own!"

"Then name one thing," Dipper snapped back, making Bill's jaw clench shut in surprise. He stepped towards Bill. "Name _one thing,_ Bill. One thing that you did for me or my family. _One thing._ "

Bill's voice faltered in his throat, dying out. The blond boy stayed quiet, his jaw clenched with a vein throbbing his throat. Dipper inspected the boy's face. It was the same old Bill- but there was something in this new body of his that made Dipper not want to see. Maybe it was because Bill's cruel soul was showing up in this- showing him of the monster that Bill never let him see. 

"I told you," Dipper whispered, victorious that Bill's accusation was false. The demon never did anything for him, for his family for that matter. The demon known as Bill Cipher would never sacrifice anything unless it benefited him and only him.

"I gave my soul to you," Bill confessed. His eyes stayed on Dipper's face. For a brief moment, Dipper met with his soul-like eyes, a metaphor come to life- the eyes a window to the soul. And for a brief moment, Dipper saw the boy he fell madly in love with. Eyes that locked onto his, eyes that _longed_ for the brunet. Eyes that belonged to a boy who wanted him more than anything in the world, desired him more than the universe. He saw the angel he once thought Bill was. 

"You weren't supposed to survive that crash, Dipper," Bill added after Dipper didn't react. His cobalt eyes never left Dipper's. They slowly filled with pain when he saw that Dipper didn't stare back with the same love the demon tried so hard to express. "You were supposed to die. But then my uncle let me have a chance to let you live, and of course I took it. You mean everything to me, Beloved. Even if it means giving you part of my soul, I'll let you have it. Hell, you can have all of my heart. As long as you stay with me, I'll stay sane." His words...why did it sound so...

Dipper swallowed, his lips curling back in pure revulsion. No, Bill was never genuine with words. Especially if it came to love. 

"You're lying," Dipper spat, his one eye still on the boy he thought he loved. But there was so much sincerity, so much pain in Bill's eyes that he couldn't help but- no. This was Bill Cipher. A demon like him could fake those emotions. A manipulative fuck like Bill could make him crawl back, like he once did before. But not this time. "You're _lying._ You wouldn't do that in a trillion years."

Bill smiled, a sour grin that churned Dipper's stomach. "Why didn't you say I love you up in that mountain? Why do you feel as if killing a person if they so much as talk about Mabel? You have part of my soul, and I have yours in return, thanks to your eye. An awful trade, I must admit. But if that meant keeping you alive, then it's all worth it in the end, am I right?"

"Keeping me alive? What am I to you, really? A trophy? Even with part of my soul, you're still heartless with no intent to even crack a frown if you kill a person!" Dipper snarled, his head pounding with a dull headache, so close to the one in his memories. 

"Demons are not completely heartless, Dipper!" Bill snapped back, catching the brunet by surprise. "Why do you think we act so cold to humans? There was a story, not so long ago, that changed every single demon on this goddamn three-dimensional universe. A mortal and a demon fell in love, deeply speaking. The stupid mortal asked for immortality, and the only way to do that was to take the demon's powers. So the fool did it, and the mortal ended up killing millions, _billions_ of humans and demons alike. That is why we act so cold to all of you, Dipper- we all hate you because every single mortal would do the same. All of you are the same, the same dull mortals who would use love as an _advantage!"_

Bill was on a roll now, prowling towards Dipper with a fire in his eyes. Quite literally too- Bill's magic was the same color of his eyes. Dipper couldn't help but feel helpless and slightly terrified, knowing exactly what Bill could do. Not Bill the boy he once fell in love with, but the demon who started Weirdmageddon. 

"Why, why do you think all demons look like they can't love?" Bill breathed, his eyes still on Dipper. It was scaring the crap out of the human, but he refused to let Bill see that. He stood his ground, clenching his fists tightly by his sides. "We're all smart enough to know what happens when we do, Dipper. Even the dumbest of demons know what Eros can do. It can blind a person, turn them mad and psychotic for their only love. Demons have soulmates- we just don't chose to stay with them because of what we can do. And frankly, Dipper, I think my uncle found out who my soulmate is."

Bill stopped in the middle of his sentence, stopping a few feet away from Dipper with his eyes ablaze. Then his eyes averted from Dipper's face, looking behind Dipper to the symbols on the wall. Dipper didn't dare turn around. The blond boy's eyes darkened- but not out of anger. They were sad, yearning, pained- the look of a man who just lost something close to them.

"It wasn't a demon. It wasn't even an immortal being like all my family had and murdered," Bill murmured, "it was you this whole time."

"How can you be so sure? How do you know I'm just some fling you caught feelings for?" Dipper asked, genuinely curious for Bill's answer. He may not like the jerk anymore, but no one can stop the feelings that came with it. No matter how much he hated to admit it to himself, he knew that he would still care for Bill, even after knowing everything the bastard had done to him and his family.

Bill was quiet for a good moment, the only sounds being the dripping noise as water leaked through the ceiling. His breathing synchronized with Dipper's, subconsciously or not. The boy's eyes were still glued behind Dipper, searching and flickering for the symbols. His lips pulled down in a small frown, something Dipper would have found cute if not for the situation in front of them. 

Then Bill's eyes snapped back to Dipper's face, the stress outlining the blond boy's face relaxing as he saw Dipper standing there, alive and healthy. "I know because for one, we share parts of our souls now," Bill pointed out, chuckling to himself. He shook his head slightly, the small smile formed by his laugh disappearing from his face.

"And I know for sure because there has never been a time I felt so lost and hopeless until you said you didn't love me." 

Dipper's lips tightened. He almost blurted out that of course, _of course_ he loved the idiot, but he held his tongue. He wasn't going to give Bill the satisfaction of his heart. 

"Then why? If you care about me so much, why did you have to kill her? Why did you manipulate me? Why _me_?" Dipper asked desperately, his eye wide as he searched for the answers he was meaning to ask this whole time. 

Bill looked down at his gnarled hands, the knuckles purple and red, scarring from whatever happened to them. He grimaced, and Dipper realized that his hands were regenerating, the flesh coming together. His new body wasn't done being put together. 

"I made a deal with my uncle," Bill told Dipper, "not for family money. But for my freedom. I can rule the world, if it just meant I fall in love once and make that person say 'I love you'. I thought-" Bill's voice caught in his throat. The boy put them his hands, looking up at Dipper with a strange look on his face. "I thought falling in love meant something else. I...I didn't think it would mean caring for someone else so much that you'd sacrifice everything if that meant just making them happy. I thought it meant being possessive and partners in bed, not- not _this._ "

"Well, you got your goddamn prize," Dipper snarled, "now that you have your powers back and you can rule the world, leave me. Kill me right now, and everything can be over."

Bill sighed, holding out a hand in front of him. Blue fire coated his fingers and palm, licking his knuckles like an obedient pet. Then he closed his palm, satisfied with what he had seen.

But Bill was never truly satisfied. He always wanted more, more, more.

"True, my uncle kept his word of giving me some of my magic," Bill sighed, "but I need your Grunkle's formula to get out of this hellhole and take over the universe. But that doesn't mean I can't take over Gravity Falls."

"Well? Do it. Get all your friends in here and let them have another rave party. This time, you'll win anyway," Dipper whispered harshly, "Mabel's gone, I'm gone, and everyone else is too unstable to fight you. Do it, Bill. No one is going to stop you."

The strange look on Bill's face tightened. "Then be with me."

"What?" Dipper's brows raised in surprise. He stumbled backward, his back hitting against the cold stone behind him. The way Bill said it, the way Bill was frowning at him-

"I can make you a god, you know," Bill murmured, reaching out a hand towards Dipper longingly. And with a flinch, he dropped it back to his side, his cold facade up again. The sweet Bill Dipper once knew was gone, replaced by the demon overlord everyone knew. "I can make everyone bow down to you, to make you known everywhere as you wish. You will be my pet, to keep me entertained while I torture anyone who dares defy you or me. We could be so strong together, my king. Everyone will bow down to the both of us, fearing the demon and the god."

"You're sick," Dipper spat, "do you honestly think I'd say yes to that?"

"Think about what you're missing out on, Dipper," Bill growled, waving a hand wildly in the air. In an instant, blue fire filled the space beside Bill, changing into a scene that made Dipper inhale sharply.

Bill and Dipper, both on matching thrones in the middle of town as citizens of Gravity Falls marched their way to them, bowing the moment they saw them. The air was polluted with darkness, the sky black and red like a dark painting. People were in rags, so many of them doing dirty work while demons whipped their backs, screams of agony filling the air. It was a wonderland for a person like Bill, a place a psychopath would love.

But in the image, Bill was not the only one laughing. Bill Cipher sat down on a throne beside Dipper Pines, both men looking down at their workers with matching grins. A ring glinted on Bill's finger as Bill held hands with his lover in the vision, the seemingly psychotic brunet ordering a death sentence to a boy rebelling against Bill. 

Bill kissed Dipper's hand in the vision, the human smiling at him lovingly as the rebelling boy was beheaded by a demon in front of them. So many people bowed down in submission, echoing words of praise to their two kings. 

It was a perfect world in Bill's eyes. 

Dipper blinked once, and the vision was gone. And because he couldn't help it and because he was genuinely curious, he looked down at Bill's left hand. It was there. Fresh, glinting, right on Bill's ring finger. Dipper's promise ring.

"Take that off," Dipper inhaled sharply, "right now."

Bill frowned at him, looking at what he was looking at. When he saw that Dipper was talking about the promise ring, he frowned deeper. "Pine Tree-"

 _"Don't call me that!"_ Dipper snapped, making the demon flinch. 

Bill sighed. "Dipper-"

"Not that either," Dipper snapped again, "don't call me _anything._ Leave. Leave this place right now and never talk to me ever again."

"Dipper, you're overreacting-"

"I HATE YOU!" Dipper screamed, making Bill clamp his mouth shut in shock. "I hate you, _I hate you, I HATE YOU!_ You honestly think I'd ever love you?! Everything I ever did for you, Bill, it was because I was desperate, not because I loved you." The words tasted so bittersweet in his mouth.

Bill's eyes became hardened and cold. "You are _mine_ , Dipper Pines," Bill snarled. "Mine, mine, mine. No one else can have you. If I can't, no one can."

Dipper laughed humorlessly. "Funny, coming from you. What are you going to do, sabotage every single relationship I ever have?" 

Bill suddenly growled. His eyes darkened, the flesh and bones on his skin pulling together like stitches. 

In an instant, Dipper was pulled close to him, their lips crashing together. 

But it wasn't like in the movies, where Dipper's worries wash away and he kiss back with a fiery passion, realizing how much he needed Bill. 

But he did kiss back.

Not out of lust, but something in him, something strong, made him want to kiss back blankly.

Bill smiled softly against their lips. Dipper pulled back away from him with a disgusted look. His hands began to shake uncontrollably, his fingers latching onto Bill's collar immediately. Bill chuckled, a deep one that rattled through the boy's chest. Dipper's breath hitched.

"Wh- what did you do to me?" Dipper whispered, a tone of fear in his voice.

"Aphrodisiac," Bill said calmly. He pecked Dipper's lips. No matter how hard Dipper tried to get away, he chased for more, kissing Bill back even with the back of his mind screaming at him. Bill laughed at his excitement, his arms snaking around Dipper's waist. But one left- a snap of a finger, and Dipper's head tilted sideways.

And when Dipper blinked, they were in his room.

All was quiet. No one was in the Shack, no sound could be heard from downstairs. 

Bill bowed his head, kissing him softly on the lips. Dipper's arms stayed put by his sides. But the temptation to take Bill to bed, to do more than kiss him was so strong and overwhelming. Whatever Bill used for an aphrodisiac- it was stronger than anything in the world. And it worked faster than most.

Bill tilted his head slightly to the side to get a better angle on Dipper's lips, deepening their kiss. Dipper's nails dug into his palms. He could feel tears sting his eye, but he blinked them away.

The demon pulled apart to look at Dipper in the face. His blue cobalt eyes searched and searched, looking for something. Bill licked his lips, arousing Dipper once more. He was shaking now, scared for the words to come out of the demon's mouth.

"You're mine," Bill snarled.

Dipper's eye dilated, his shoulders relaxing by his sides as the aphrodisiac took a toll on his body. No, aphrodisiacs don't do this- this was basically a love potion, a poison that was clouding every single part of Dipper's body. But why did he feel like that even without the magic, he would still submit to the demon who took everything from him?

"Yours," Dipper murmured. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, they did the dirty. I am not putting it in the story because it literally has no contribution to it but nosebleeds lol. Soooo- it's on another story on my account called 'Eat My Heart Out'! It's just a smut collection story basically, if you need more cringey smut I have written :3


	35. "-but I know we'll meet again some sunny day."

_"And we can deny it as much as we want_  
_But in time our feelings will show_  
_'Cause sooner or later_  
_We'll wonder why we gave up_  
_The truth is everyone knows_  
_Almost, almost is never enough_  
_So close to being in love_  
_If I would have known that you wanted me the way I wanted you_  
_Then maybe we wouldn't be two worlds apart_  
_But right here in each other's arms."_

**[Almost Is Never Enough | Ariana Grande ft. Nathan Skyes ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wilq6yYy5fo) **

* * *

Bill woke up that morning with his arms around Dipper.

He cracked open his eyes, almost letting out a groan of exhaustion. He blinked once, then twice, sunlight streaming through the window of Dipper's room. 

Of course, no one was home. He planned everything out carefully. No one was coming to the Shack until tomorrow morning, as it was closed for 'family reasons'. That being, of course, Stanley Pines's gut-stabbing incident the day before. All caused by his Pine Tree.

He swallowed, moving his head slightly downwards.

And there he was.

Dipper Pines, soundlessly asleep underneath his head, an overlarge t-shirt covering the boy's body modestly, loose jeans fitted around him. It was the least Bill could do after last night, and he needed to do it anyway. He didn't need Dipper to question what happened to him in the morning after what he was going to do. Bill planned everything out carefully, that was for certain. Demons were good under pressure sometimes. And while Bill knew that his plan was almost fool-proof and all he needed to do was get out of there, he couldn't help but stare. At Dipper, at the lover he was going to lose.

His lips were slightly apart, making an 'o'. Soft snores filled the air, the boy's slim chest going up and down with his breathing. The brunet's hair was tussled and messy, thanks to their...not-so-gentle time in bed the night before. Even with everything that has happened, Dipper still looked like the perfect person he wanted from the beginning. 

Bill couldn't help but smile softly at the sight underneath him. His arms were safely tucked around the boy's torso and underneath his arms. Bill tightened his grip on the sleeping, peaceful boy, burying his face in the boy's neck. 

He breathed in, his heartbeat slowing down as he let in the smell of familiarity and home. Dipper smelled like the forests of the Pacific Northwest, mixed in with the smell of old parchment- Bill's new favorite smell and his long time favorite smell. Mixing those two together to make one person have that unique, wonderful scent was bliss for Bill.

He lied about always nuzzling his neck because he didn't know. In truth, he knew very well why he wanted to do such a thing. It calmed him down- and to the extent where it slowed his heartbeat ever so slowly, as it was doing to him right now. Believe it or not, but Bill Cipher had many stresses in life- which was one of the reasons why he let in alcoholic drinks into his Weirdmageddon party. A demon banished by his own stupid flat dimension, given the task to fall in love- who wouldn't be stressed?

It just happened to be that his Pine Tree was the perfect stress reliever. 

And he had to leave him.

Bill took another shuddering breath, savoring the smell and storing it into his memories as best as he could. He was leaving. He was actually leaving, and it was a decision he firmly made the moment he saw his Pine Tree knelt down in front of the symbols, his face void of emotion as the boy was forced to remember things he shouldn't. Bill didn't have to check his mind to know what those memories were about- Shooting Star told him about them not so long ago.

He didn't want to leave. It was the last thing he wanted to do. But he had to. If not for the sanity of his lover, then the sanity of his. 

Bill loved him.

With everything he had, he loved the idiot to every dimension and back. It hurt to even think of leaving Dipper, a fear of his he thought would never come true. But the nightmare had taken its form, and he was going boot himself out of this wonderful boy's life because of the decisions he chose to take. Bill was a selfish demon, that was for sure. He cared for no one but himself, and will do no act if it did not benefit him in any way.

He was selfish, because he was leaving Dipper for his own good. 

If he stayed, he didn't know if he could even look at the boy's face for more than a couple seconds without cracking. He didn't know how long it would take until Bill would become too unstable in this new body and soul form, didn't know how long until he killed Dipper out of spite. It was in his nature, in his blood, to kill and murder the ones he loved.

Bill sat up on an elbow, taking one good look at Dipper's face.

His brow furrowed, eyes searching almost hungrily all over the brunet's face. He needed to remember this face. He needed to look at it, remember every detail, and keep that close to his heart. The curve of his upper lip, the slight downturn of his nose, the small wrinkles of sleep underneath his eyes. 

Bill let out air through his nose slowly, his eyes flickering downwards. The scar on his cheek, the frown on his lips, the outstretched arm on the bed that showed the mark of another demon- Dipper Pines bore scars both on the inside and on the outside. And surprisingly, the boy was still stable, or at least more stable than anyone in his position. Bill knew that the boy was carrying a burden that was about to collapse. He promised himself that he was going to stop that, even if it meant-

Bill swallowed. He propped himself up on another elbow, both arms slithering away from the boy's body. As if sensing Bill's warmth disappearing, Dipper shivered coldly, bringing his arms and legs closer to his body like he was freezing, despite it being a hot summer day. It almost made Bill plop back down on the bed to hug him tight, to never let him go. But he knew temptations were the reason so many demons and humans alike fell, and he stopped himself from doing that one simple act. He was chaos, a demon from hell. His first given-in temptation shouldn't be because of a stupid _human._

He rubbed the side of his head in both frustration and exhaustion, his eyes still glued to the boy sleeping innocently in front of him. Dipper seemed so calm and peaceful in sleep, his small frown the only indication of worry. It was as if Bill was looking at a boy with an up-coming test to worry about, not a boy worried about the safety of his life and the sacrifices to be made to bring his sister back.

The bed creaked underneath his weight as Bill twisted his body around, planting his bare feet on the dusty floorboards. He got off the bed in an instant, careful not to make any sound in case it woke up his beloved.

In a snap of a finger, a jacket flew over to Bill's outstretched arm. He put it on, snapping his fingers again- slacks, socks, and clean underwear. They were slipped on, leaving Bill in a snazzy black suit vest and slacks. He ran a hand through his bed head in exhaustion, looking around the room for anything else to get. A snap of the fingers- a suitcase was placed right beside Bill, containing all his personal belongings he managed to snag during his days here in the Shack. 

Snap- his room across from Dipper's was basically incinerated, all his belongings and indications that a person had been occupying the place gone, leaving an empty white, bare room.

A lazy twirl of a wrist- Dipper's old pine tree hat was placed upon the boy's dresser. It was dirty, a hole in the back caused by the car crash, but it was still manageable.

A flick- Dipper's phone flew to his hand, and thanks to constant practice, Bill opened up the phone and looked through the contacts before he found his name. But he hesitated over the delete button, wondering if he should keep his contact number. So he did, erasing his name, information, and picture and leaving an empty contact number Dipper wouldn't identify. He placed the phone on the dresser.

Before Bill could do anything else, a cat meowed from beneath his feet. A weight was pressed against his right leg, rubbing against his body as the cat purred. Bill looked down, smiling softly at Chip. 

He crouched down to the cat, look at the animal in the eyes. "You take good care of him, you hear me?" Bill murmured. He petted the cat on top of the head, letting soft purrs come out of the cat's throat. "Don't let him get into any crazier things while I'm gone."

The cat tilted his head at Bill in question. Bill sighed. He pulled out a necklace from the air with his weak magic, holding it up to his face to inspect. Just the perfect size of Chip's neck, as he hoped. He placed it around the cat's neck carefully, tying it at the back securely. A snap of the fingers and the necklace glowed blue, smoke coming up in the air before it disappeared. Now no one can take off the little key in the shape of a K, with a gap on the circle. 

"I hope you like it, little guy," Bill whispered, patting the cat on the head affectionately. "It's the only gift I can afford to give at the moment."

He got up from the floor. For a moment, he considered giving something else to the cat. Eh, why the hell not? A flick of a wrist and the cat's eyes glowed blue before it changed back to its normal eye color. Bill smirked to himself. That will do. For now, at least.

He pivoted around, wanting to look at Dipper's sleeping face one last time before he had to leave.

But it was not the sleeping Dipper he was greeted with- he was greeted with a very much awaken Dipper, the boy looked at Bill blankly. His elbows on the bed was what kept him up, and the boy's hair was a mess.

But it was not how messy the boy looked was what caught Bill off guard. It was the hurt and betrayal in the young human's face that made him genuinely curious. His one eye glittered with tears, but the boy merely blinked it away. But the agony and pain was still evident on Dipper's face, no matter how hard the kid tried to flatten it out.

And because Bill didn't know what to do, and because he hated seeing his Pine Tree look so scared, he fell to his knees beside the boy.

His two hands latched onto Dipper's cold, limp one by his side. He squeezed the frozen hand, getting nothing in return. His eyes searched Dipper's face. He didn't know what he was looking for, he didn't know exactly what made his heart feel so wrapped up like a snake was squeezing it, but he kept searching. Searching for something that was never there.

And curiously, ever so faintly, Dipper's eyelids half-closed, his head leaning in towards Bill. His soft lips met Bill's rough ones, planting delicate kiss on the demon's lips. Bill reared back in confusion a moment later, removing one hand away from Dipper to tilt the boy's chin up so he could get a better look. He let out a sigh through his nose, brows knitted together. He opened his mouth to speak, to ask his ex-lover what was wrong, when the human himself spoke, catching the ex-dream demon off guard. 

"Stay with me?" Dipper murmured. 

The lump in Bill's throat enlarged. He tried to gulp it down as best as he could, but it stayed. He didn't dare speak in fear that he would say something stupid and regretful. So instead, he simply shook his head. 

Dipper's gaze dropped from Bill's face, staying on the bed sheets below them. There was so much disappointment and sadness in the young boy's face that it made Bill genuinely worried and concerned. All he wanted to do was kiss Dipper's worries away, taking Dipper's every flaw and worry away even if that meant destroying a hundred dimensions. 

"I have to leave," Bill whispered, getting the words out as best as he can. Dipper deserved to know.

The brunet's gaze snapped up to Bill so fast that Bill could barely hold it. The boy's eyes were wide with fear, and even the glass eye reflected his panic. Bill's hand squeezed the boy- but like before, Dipper did not respond.

"My twin left me, my family left me a long time ago, my friends were never here," Dipper croaked out, his voice strained with betrayal, _"and now you're leaving me too?"_

Bill's brows raised in surprise. He thought, after everything they've fought about the night before, that the boy would hate his every move, his every thought. He thought Dipper would scream at him, punch him, slap him- anything to leave wounds both mentally and physically on Bill. 

His eyes spotted Dipper's shaking hand, Dipper subtly trying to hide it underneath the covers around his legs. His eyes jumped back up to Dipper's face, seeing the worry and disappointment laced within. The brown eye that stared at Bill in disbelief was what put the puzzle pieces together. Dipper was still affected by the aphrodisiac. 

He cursed in his mind. With the sudden flow of magic coming back through his human veins, Bill let too much magic into the aphrodisiac. He was supposed to let it last only through the night, just so he could have one more relaxing night with his lover before he had to leave. But things never went his way anymore, and he wondered if this was a good thing nevertheless. 

No. It was definitely a bad thing. He would rather have Dipper scream and kick at him right now than to be fooled that this boy was still in love with him. 

"I have to leave," Bill repeated, his voice stiff in his throat. "I'm never coming back."

"No," Dipper whimpered, his hands coming up to Bill's face. He held Bill in place, looking into his eyes with a desperate look. Bill lifted up a hand and held onto his lover's fingers, squeezing them reassuringly. " _Please_. Stay with me. I- I can't lose you too."

"You've never lost me, _Liebling,_ " Bill assured him softly. He leaned in to Dipper's touch. "You're strong. You can do this without me."

"No, no I can't," Dipper breathed, his face still full of panic. "Bill, don't-"

Bill forced his hands away from his face, leaning away from Dipper. He forced his face to seem stoic, to seem like he wasn't about to break down at the thought of leaving his only source of happiness in this stupid human body. Dipper watched him with wide eyes. 

Bill placed his forehead against Dipper's, closing his eyes. He reached out with his hands, placing them around Dipper's waist to keep him in place. He heard the boy whimper. "Do you trust me?"

Dipper nodded his head vigorously. 

"Don't move," Bill mumbled, "don't say anything. Don't jerk back when you feel something. Don't do anything at all but stay there until I leave- but by then you'll be-"

He bit back his explanation. Swallowing his pride, he said, "I won't be back. Ever. But that doesn't mean I don't love you. Okay?"

"How the hell would I remember you love me if there's nothing here left of you?" Dipper demanded. Bill fought back a smile. The aphrodisiac was wearing off. As much as he loved Dipper's affection towards him, he loved it even more when Dipper was being honest, like his usual self. This side of Dipper was making it harder for him to disappear. 

Bill leaned away from Dipper's forehead to look at him in the eyes. He kissed Dipper on the forehead. "There's a blue rose downstairs in the gift shop," Bill murmured, "it dies, and my love for you does as well. As long as the blue rose blossoms, I'm still here for you."

"Didn't realize you were corny, Bill," Dipper grumbled. Bill laughed softly, tracing a pattern on Dipper's thigh. The blond boy placed his forehead once more on the brunette, taking a shaky breath with his ex-lover. The noise in his brain quieted down like the static on TV, his heart slowing down to the perfect pulse. It was only them again, alone in a world without a care. Just them, only them. Like old times when they would act like nothing was between them and they weren't oceans apart. Dipper's hands stayed firmed on Bill's strong biceps as the demon leaned in, his own hands gripping Dipper's thighs lovingly. 

And because he couldn't help himself and because he knew that the drug he put on Dipper was wearing off anyway, he kissed the brown-haired boy. 

It was a short yet simple kiss, like a soldier off to a mission saying goodbye. But like the soldier and their lover, knowing perfectly well that a small peck of the lips wasn't enough, Bill and Dipper pulled apart, looking at each other for a brief moment before the spell over them was broken, pulling back together impatiently. 

Bill tilted Dipper's head upwards a little, deepening their kiss. He was craving for more, to _do_ more- but he knew he couldn't.

This was simply a distraction. A distraction so that his lover's pain could lessen. Even if it was slightly so.

A spark between them ignited, and not in the mental sense. A physical spark that made Dipper yelp. But the boy wisely kept his promise, never letting go of Bill as his grip tightened on the demon's shirt.

Bill pulled their lips apart, Dipper chasing after them in desire. But Bill merely placed his forehead against Dipper's, his hands on the boy's hips. He breathed the boy in, almost letting go when he heard a sniffle. 

His eyes snapped open in surprise, his vision now staring at his wordlessly crying lover. 

He would do anything to stop Dipper's pain- _anything._ But what had to be done, had to be done. 

"My little Pine Tree," Bill mumbled into his hair, kissing the top of his head. He peered into Dipper's face. He sucked in a breath, willing his magic to flow through his lover's head. " _I love you_. So, so much. You know that, right?" For once in his entire life, of his useless trillion years of roaming through different dimensions, Bill's words were one hundred percent genuine. His voice crackled with the emotion, and he had to blink away  _tears._

But even with his words, Dipper didn't seem affected. He seemed...contented. Bill bit down on his lower lip, willing himself to continue. But he so close to breaking, and he hated that so much. And while he was breaking piece by piece, Dipper seemed to get back together one broken piece after another. Conceived under the aphrodisiac or not, but Dipper...Dipper was going to be happy again. Bill was going to make sure of it. 

 _"We'll meet again,"_ Bill sang quietly, his eyes still somehow observant of the human's face. His face was slowly becoming detached, like the last of his stability was disappearing. _"Don't know where, don't know when-"_

He didn't realize his hands were shaking until he looked down for the briefest of moments, his fingers clinging on to the bed sheets like a life line. He gulped, looking back up at Dipper to keep the magic flowing. It was working- the boy's eyelids were half-closed, the grip on Bill's forearms loosening. 

_"-but I know we'll meet again some sunny day."_

Memories of Bill Cipher were once again erased from Dipper Pines's life. The destruction, the insanity, everything. But he also erased the valuable moments they had. Their kisses, their first time, the heat between them- everything and anything that Bill Cipher had been mentioned. 

But he left something in Dipper's mind. Not a vision, not a trick- but a mercy. 

He left Dipper's heart broken, not letting him forget that a boy had once broken his heart and anyone can do it again. He let Dipper remember that no one is what ever they seem, and that the perfect lover Dipper might see can end up like the one he used to have. It was not out of revenge, nor out of spite and jealousy- but it was to protect him from another broken heart. A person can only have one so many.

And this time, those memories could never be recovered. His magic disposed of his memories the moment they touched them, like a beautiful curse. They wrapped itself around Dipper's mind, taking and plucking memory after memory of Bill, throwing them away forever so that not even the mightiest of beings can take them back. His magic relieved Dipper of every memory, of every raw feeling of love, until only one person of the two-mirrored memories remembered. It tired Bill to do such a thing, his magic limited thanks to the human body, but every taken moment was worth it.

Bill sighed through his nose, standing up from his spot next to Dipper's bed. 

Dipper was staring blankly at the bed sheets below him, looking at his trembling hands with a slight frown. His legs were crossed, his one eye void of any emotion Bill could deter. He looked so lost, so helpless that it made Bill feel a little queasy. 

What had he _done?_

Before this decision could be the first that he ever regretted in a lifetime, Bill turned around, picked up his suitcase, and turned his back to Dipper Pines. 

And before Dipper Pines could look up and see him, Bill had already left the room.

The demon trapped in a human body walked down the stairs in what seemed like forever, his footsteps echoing and creaking through the dusty air. His suitcase thumped against the stairs, making hollow sounds that hammered through the air like a whip on a crisp day. But despite the loud noises that mixed in with his swearing, Bill only heard nothing, tasted nothing but the bile in his throat, and saw nothing in his future. 

They might as well take him back to his bubble prison. He was a goner.

Bill opened the back door to the Mystery Shack, stepping out with a grunt. He didn't even close the door as he slammed the suitcase to the grass, pivoting around on one heel to punch a hole in the wall. 

He didn't even cry. His eyes didn't sting with tears as the betrayal and decision took a toll on him. He didn't even feel pity. After all, he was Bill Cipher. He couldn't love. He couldn't feel. Not- not anymore. Not now that the only thing that made him feel human was gone. 

The hole in the wall was extremely noticeable as he pulled out his bloodied fist. He laughed maniacally.

It reminded him of the time he thought he heard his Pine Tree flirting with Wendy. The hole he made in the Shack was just an act, to trick Dipper into thinking he was jealous that he would punch a godforsaken wall. Yes, he was jealous- but in the possessive sense. Everything he did, everything he told Dipper, it was all a _lie._

At least, he told himself it was a lie. As he told Dipper how he loved the way Dipper smiled or laughed, or how Dipper was so stubborn and fiercely loyal just so Dipper could think he was madly in love with him, Bill realized that all of it was true. Genuine, sincere from the heart. 

Saying "I love you," in that mountain, Bill didn't realize how much he fucked up until Dipper didn't say it back. The moment he saw the look in Dipper's eyes, the moment he heard those words, he knew that he was in deeper shit than he ever thought he could be in. Everything he had ever said from the very beginning was genuine, no matter how many times he told himself it wasn't. Every word, every act of love, it was all from the heart Bill never thought he had. 

Demons were forbidden to fall in love. Lust, of course. One night stands? Go for it.

But to love? It was like a death march to his kind. Being recklessly in love like Bill, he was already half way done being an overlord. 

He hated himself for that. He hated how he fell in love for someone so _ordinary_ like Dipper Pines. He hated how, despite being told everything about love, Bill knew that he would do _anything_ to have Dipper. Love was destruction. 

Maybe that was why he loved chaos so much.

Something pressed itself between his legs, making Bill clench his fists tight by his sides as he kept his eyes closed. Just Chip again. But Chip wasn't as chubby like this, was he?

A sudden oink made his eyes snap open, his chin drooping downwards to look at the culprit. In between his legs, looking up at him with chubby cheeks grinning impossibly, was Waddles the Pig.

Bill stepped out between Waddles, looking at the pig with a furrowed brow. Mabel sold her pig, didn't she? Didn't she give him away so long ago? Why was he-?

A part of Waddles' ear was chomped off like someone bit it, his skin dirty and scratched, even by pig standards. There was blood at the side of his snout, but the pig was still smiling and tilting his head at Bill in greeting. Waddles found his way home, expecting Mabel to come over here and hug him with the hugest grin on her face.

Bill's jaw clenched. 

He knelt down to the pig's level, scratching the pig behind the ear. "Hey Waddles," he whispered, getting an oink back in return. Bill didn't crack a smile. Waddles should have never came back here. He should have never found his way to the Shack. 

Bill slowly pulled out a knife from his back pocket, a safety hazard he used ever since he went on that first date with Dipper. Just to keep them safe- but now it was used for something completely different.

He gripped the scruff of Waddles' neck, keeping the fluffy pig in place. Waddles snorted, trying to move out of tight grip friendly. But Bill gritted his teeth, keeping the darn pig in place. "Nice to see you back," he said happily, grinning at the pig. He knew that Mabel would have wanted this too. "But Shooting Star is gone. I know you want to see her."

A squeal filled the air as Bill chinked the knife into the pig's throat, going in deep. He twisted the knife around like a joystick, finding the sweet spot so he could go all the way around the throat. It was sickening and gruesome as Waddles tried to get away, blood coating the grass and Bill's fingers. Muscles and bones were exposed as Waddles's head dropped to the ground, leaving two separate pieces of the pig. 

Bill cleaned the knife on his slacks, pocketing it once more. He snapped his fingers, letting the body burn up in flames. But the head, going pale from the loss of blood with the mouth wide open in a scream, stayed on the floor. 

A flick and a hole was created beside the pig's head. The head floated upwards shakily, before it plopped itself down to the hole created by Bill's magic. Bill used his magic once more to cover up the hole, letting grass sprout again as if nothing was there. The only indication that something was there was the blood that splattered the grass. But of course, he let that stay.

Almost immediately afterwards and as if Mabel's ghost was back for retribution, a cold ghost hand wrapped itself around Bill's throat.

He choked, his hands flying up to his neck. But nothing was there.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up like a guarded dog, his eyes turning into pinpricks. Oh _no._

He coughed up blood on his fist, his forehead feeling like it was tightening up with a band around it. His knees felt like lead as he forced himself to turn around and run up the stairs as fast as he could, not caring if he passed out through the process. Something was going on, soul bonds don't just give warnings like this, it usually meant-

Bill swung open Dipper's door, about to scream at the top of his lungs to get his lover to flee again, to run before anything bad happened to him again. He was so ready to get Dipper out of there, to protect the boy from anything even if the boy himself wouldn't do the same. He was ready to get himself killed, if it was just to make sure the human was happy. But the sight stopped him, stopping his screams cold in his throat, dying out like the flame before him. 

The sweet, innocent brown-haired boy named Dipper was hanging himself.

The boy thrashed around, coughing and surprised by the pressure around his neck. But even with the struggle, Bill saw that he wasn't struggling to get out of the rope, just struggling out of surprise. The boy's face was not in fear and terror for his life- but _serene_ like he wanted this to happen. Comforted, even, that he was doing this. 

Bill reached out with an arm, stepping forward to try and help him get down. But he stopped himself, clenching his jaw tight before he can scream loud, louder than anyone in any situation given. His mind screamed and pounded at the edges of his brain, yelling at him, _pleading_ him to help his lover. The edges of his human brain and his demonic soul clawed at him painfully, sobbing and screaming to make Bill do something, anything at all. 

But he didn't want to save Dipper. 

He laughed.

A joyful, cheery laugh that sounded like a little boy getting the candy they wanted. 

This isn't what he wanted, however.

But if Dipper wanted it, then so did he.

He turned around, and left. Left the boy to be hanged, to die by himself in a Shack without another soul. In a way, he was doing the suicidal bastard a favor. Dipper could be with Mabel again. He could be happy, finally free of the responsibilities he tried to run away from so long ago. Bill was doing him a huge favor. He kept telling himself that, and eventually he let himself believe it. Let himself believe that what he let the eighteen year old boy do was the best decision he ever made.

Bill Cipher waited for the boy with a wolf's patience. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. There we go. The end of the Legacy. Time to move on to the Rebellion. *Sniff* ;-;.
> 
> Since I don't want this to be all cheesy and such, I'll just say this- thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this, like seriously. Regardless to whether you enjoyed this very much or just read it for the hell of it. Thanks to the ones who have kudos'd this story (bless your souls) and/or commented (bless your souls even more, my goodness you guys are angels), or even just read it and enjoyed. You guys are the backbone to my writing and I am forever thankful :D. 
> 
> See you guys on the other side! Remember, reality is an illusion, the universe is a hologram, buy gold, byeeee!


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